State Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) has acknowledged today he violated Wisconsin’s open records law, after previously denying any wrongdoing. As a result of Sen. Kapanke’s wrongdoing, Wisconsin’s taxpayers will likely have to spend $38,000 on legal bills, unless Sen. Kapanke does the right thing and pays the legal bills out of his own pocket (which I’m betting he won’t do). Ironically enough, Sen. Kapanke is running for Congress on a campaign to lower taxes, but apparently he’s not running for Congress on a campaign of ethics and following the law.
Here’s Sen. Kapanke’s statement regarding his wrongdoing:
“I take responsibility for any failures by my office in responding to the public records request, and intend to take steps to prevent any similar occurrences in the future,” Kapanke said in a statement included in a court settlement filed Friday.
While I’m glad Dan Kapanke took responsibility for his wrongdoing, it’s disappointing to think an elected official – someone sworn to uphold the law and our state’s Constitution – would be so willing to break the law to save his own skin.
What’s more, as my friend Cory Liebmann notes, Sen. Kapanke should be paying for his crime, not the taxpayers of Wisconsin. If Sen. Kapanke really wanted to do the right thing, he’d pay all the legal fees related to his case, because Wisconsinites deserve nothing less.
JSOnline:
Madison — The state paid two newspapers more than $81,500 this week after improperly refusing to release the names of state employees.
The payments – which could climb higher because they don’t include appeal costs – came as the Capital Times of Madison sued the state for delaying the release of public records related to judicial appointments.
An attorney representing the Capital Times said it seemed as if Gov. Jim Doyle’s office was deliberately slow in providing the records, in hopes they would lose their news value. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Doyle suggested the Capital Times was trying to “pose as open records champions and cost the taxpayers some money over it.”
In the end, state taxpayers lose if governmental bodies don’t follow open records laws. In the other cases, the state was ordered to pay attorney costs in its losing fight to withhold public records.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/52626422.html
E, it’s no better when Democrats do it. There’s a reason for our state’s open records laws, and they should be followed, whether you’re a Republican State Senator or a Democratic governor.
I’m just sayin’and I agree with you!!! YEA!
Did Cory point out Doyles’ “crime” as well and the fact that he should pay also? I just want to be fair.
Was Gov. Doyle actually cited by the GAB or in court, as Sen. Kapanke was?
Doyle.????? In court??????? That’s funny.
JSOnline did site “Doyle’s Office” but nothing would ever come of that. It’s still our money.