Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Kaine defends DNC travels once more on radio program
The governor also revised his cost estimate for security during his trips as DNC chairman.
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roanoke.com/politics
RICHMOND -- For the second time in a week, Gov. Tim Kaine defended his national travels for the Democratic Party on live radio.
The issue of Kaine's juggling state business with a busy DNC itinerary made him a Republican Party target for more than a week after the state GOP sought his travel records under the state Freedom of Information Act.
Virginia Republican Chairman Pat Mullins questioned whether Kaine was shortchanging his state duties and who was paying the travel bills of his state security team.
On Friday, Kaine rejected the GOP request, citing an exemption to FOIA for governors' working papers and a 1991 state Supreme Court decision affirming it.
The same day, The Associated Press filed a FOIA request more narrowly targeted to travel expenses and destinations without compromising Kaine's security or confidential business.
The Washington Post, which chronicled numerous DNC trips, has also asked for Kaine's records.
On Monday, the state GOP said it would not pursue its FOIA request in court.
On Tuesday, in his monthly call-in show on Washington's WTOP radio, listeners who called in and the program's host pressed Kaine again on the issue.
"What I've said to the press ... is I'm going to answer any questions about where I go, and whenever reporters ask me, I tell them," Kaine said.
Kaine also revised the six-month cost figure for his security detail from the "less than $10,000" he cited on Thursday's radio program on WRVA in Richmond to "about $7,500."
Kaine said he is never without his state Executive Protection Unit. He said he instructed agents who travel with him to save their receipts so the DNC can reimburse Virginia semiannually.
