Saturday, June 27, 2009
Governor will not release travel records
Kaine has increased his travel but says he is not neglecting state business as DNC chairman.
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From The Roanoke Times
RICHMOND -- Gov. Tim Kaine has denied a request by the chairman of the state Republican Party for a full range of records pertaining to Kaine's travel schedule and expenses related to his duties as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Republican Chairman Pat Mullins requested the records under the state's Freedom of Information Act last week after arguing that Kaine has been spending too much time out of the state on political trips and questioning whether taxpayers are footing the bill for some of his expenses.
In a three-page letter issued late Friday, a Kaine aide asserted that details of the governor's personal schedule are "working papers" that are protected under the Freedom of Information law and cited a 1991 state Supreme Court ruling regarding gubernatorial phone records as a precedent for the denial.
"The letter of the law clearly provides that the office of Governor Kaine need not provide documents related to his personal schedule under FOIA," wrote Lynda Tran, Kaine's communications director. "However, it is in the spirit of transparency and in the interest of Virginians that Governor Kaine is choosing to respond to questions pertaining to his schedule during any of the numerous events that are regularly disclosed as part of his public schedule."
Tran also referred Mullins to the Virginia State Police for information about the costs associated with the security detail that accompanies Kaine on all of his travels. Kaine said earlier this week that the DNC will reimburse the state for the travel expenses incurred by his security detail on political trips. He estimated those costs at less than $10,000 for the first six months of this year. The DNC already pays for Kaine's travel expenses.
State GOP spokesman Tim Murtaugh said the governor's office "made a variety of legal arguments" in the response to Mullins and that party officials will review the letter over the weekend before commenting on it.
Kaine became President Obama's handpicked chairman of the DNC in January after initially saying he didn't want the job. He said he changed his mind after Obama assured him the he could serve on a part-time basis until he leaves the governor's office next year.
But Kaine's partisan role has left him open to criticism from Republicans who question whether he has put his political activities ahead of managing the state during a fiscal crisis. Kaine has increased his political travel since the General Assembly ended in February but said he has not neglected state business.
"I'm working seven days a week," Kaine told reporters Tuesday after making an energy policy announcement in Chesterfield County. "I'm very comfortable with the amount of time I'm spending on state business."
Kaine's activities as party chairman have been difficult to discern because neither his office nor the DNC releases a public schedule of his political events. Kaine insisted his political travels were not a secret and that he will discuss them when asked directly.
"I just think the easiest way to handle it is for folks to ask and I'll answer," Kaine said.
