Five GOP lawmakers settle lawsuit with groups seeking ALEC emails (WI's fight against ALEC) [View all]

[hue]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/five-gop-lawmakers-settle-lawsuit-with-groups-seeking-emails-9l7dmdi-176441471.html

Madison - Five Republican legislators this week settled an open records lawsuit by two liberal groups by agreeing to turn over emails from their personal accounts to and from a conservative organization that works with corporations to draft legislation.

As part of the settlement, the Center for Media and Democracy in Madison and the national group Common Cause will receive $2,520 in attorney's fees and costs from the state and the lawmakers will turn over any records from their email accounts that fit the groups' open records request.

"Defendants recognize that public records may be located in personal email accounts and acknowledge that they have a legal responsibility as elected officials to provide public records to a requester," the settlement reads.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month in Dane County Circuit Court against Reps. Tyler August of Lake Geneva, Dan Knodl of Germantown, Tom Larson of Colfax, Pat Strachota of West Bend and Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac.

Brendan Fischer, staff counsel at the Center for Media and Democracy, said the groups were pleased that they would receive the records but disappointed that it took a lawsuit to make that happen.

"We hope it sends a signal to other legislators that they do have a duty to comply with the open records law," Fischer said.