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The Associated Press: Regulator: Gov.’s Senate process may break NY law
(Excerpt from) AP
Regulator: Governor’s Senate Process May Break New York Law
By MICHAEL GORMLEY
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. David Paterson’s secretive process to select Hillary Rodham Clinton’s successor in the U.S. Senate conflicts with his campaign promises to open up government, and New York’s top regulator of open government laws says it appears to violate state law.
Just days from announcing his choice, Paterson won’t identify “about 10” people who he said are in the running to follow Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama’s designated secretary of state. The governor won’t release the blank questionnaire he sent to each candidate looking for background information. He won’t turn over their completed forms.
“The process is confidential,” is the stock answer from his office.
Keeping the questions posed to Senate hopefuls secret appears to violate the state’s post-Watergate freedom of information laws, according to Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, the state agency that regulates enforcement of the good-government laws…
Filed under: grassroots democracy, New York State Politics, News, Political Websites, progressive politics Tagged: | Committee on Open Government, FOIL, Governor Paterson, hillary clinton, Open Government, Robert Freeman, senate, Sunshine Laws
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