Denied: The full Bellotti

5/22/2010: Normally when you make a request to the Oregon DOJ for public records, you get a reply from DOJ Attorney Michael Kron, the DOJ’s Government Transparency Czar.  So when I asked for the full report on the Bellotti investigation, I was a little surprised to get a denial from the DOJ’s political spokesperson instead. Tony Green simply says:

We have determined that the records you requested are privileged as part of a legal review done for the Attorney General. Because there remains a risk of litigation around the underlying issues, the Attorney General does not intend to waive that privilege.

Tony Green
Director of Communications & Policy
Oregon Department of Justice
503-378-6002

Interestingly, when we asked UO Assistant General Counsel Doug Park, he sent us a copy of the public records requests for the Bellotti contract (one is below, here’s the other one). These are the ignored PR requests for written contracts which led to the firing of Melinda Grier – so far as the public knows.

Why did UO’s lawyer Doug Park release these documents – even though they also show that he was not doing his job as UO’s Public Records Officer? Because UO President Richard Lariviere made him release them.

Why won’t the DOJ release their stash of similar documents? Because Melinda Grier is the wife of Solicitor General Jerry Lidz? Because they believe the documents will embarrass former AG Dave Frohnmayer? Because they are afraid it will set a precedent, and then they will have to release the details regarding the firing of former DOJ environmental counsel Brent Foster? Because they are afraid someone will take the details to the Oregon Bar and open a whole new can of worms?

In any case, UO is now more transparent than the Oregon DOJ – at least with regard to the Bellotti payoff and Melinda Grier’s role in it.

The Oregon House Committee on Education is having a hearing on this Monday at 8AM. See http://www.leg.state.or.us/committees/ We will learn a little more then, maybe. The committee chair is Sara Gelser, [email protected], if you want to email her and ask her to encourage release of the full Bellotti report.