Statement of RPV Chairman Pat Mullins

Regarding Governor Tim Kaine’s Denial of FOIA Request

Contact: Tim Murtaugh 804-780-0111

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mullins Pleased that Kaine Will Now Reimburse VA Taxpayers

RICHMOND - Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins today issued a statement regarding Governor Tim Kaine's refusal to release documents requested under Virginia's Freedom of Information Act. Virginia Republicans had sought documents related to Kaine's travel schedule and associated expenses for his job as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. On Friday afternoon, Kaine's office sent a letter detailing the legal rationale for denying the request. Mullins' statement is as follows:

"We have reviewed the governor's letter and the sections of the Code of Virginia and legal precedent he cites to resist releasing the details of his travel for the national Democratic Party.

"To continue our pursuit of the documents in question would leave us with the only option of taking the issue to litigation. That course of action would occupy state resources in the use of the public court system and the governor's counsel in defending their refusal. In this time of economic difficulty and massive budget shortfalls in Virginia, I cannot in good conscience approve such a proceeding.

"In his reply, the governor invited us to request additional relevant information from the State Police. Similarly, a FOIA request of that nature would further draw on valuable resources and distract the agency from its important duties of protecting the safety of Virginians. We likewise choose not to pursue that action.

"We remain disappointed that the governor refuses to be forthcoming about his whereabouts when he conducts business for his national political party, particularly when it appears that the vast majority of his known trips have occurred during the normal work week. The governor has been quoted in a number of media outlets expressing his willingness to discuss his activities if people directly ask him about it. We made just such an inquiry - and even formalized it in the form of a written FOIA request - but were turned away.

"As a Virginia resident, I continue to believe that the people have the right to know where their elected governor is, especially when he leaves the boundaries of the Commonwealth for political business unrelated to the concerns of the taxpayers of Virginia.

"One victory on behalf of the taxpayers was achieved, however, in the form of the governor's pledge to see that the DNC reimburses the Commonwealth for the costs associated with the travel of his State Police Executive Protection Unit when it is used on political junkets. Governor Kaine has verbally estimated the costs of those excursions and placed an approximate dollar figure on it. We respect his statement and trust that he will abide by his promise to safeguard the public fiscal interests in that regard.

"All this does not mean we have given up the chase. On the contrary, we will continue to scour the Internet for news reports from publications across the United States that may catch glimpses of Tim Kaine during his apparently busy political travel schedule. Additionally, we are in the process of contacting the Republican Chairmen of the state parties of each of the forty-nine other states to ask them to be on the alert for the presence of the Governor of Virginia when he appears at a DNC function in their far flung zip codes.

"Lastly, I issue an appeal to the media, some members of which I know were forced to work late on an early summer Friday because of the timing of the governor's release. I ask that our friends in the press corps continue to be curious about the political travel habits of our governor, even though I know a number of them have been frustrated in their efforts to learn about his DNC itinerary.

"In the end, we are all Virginians. Our simple goal is to see that the people are served in the best, most vigorous fashion, with every resource and all energies dedicated to the furtherance of the great Commonwealth of Virginia we so cherish."

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