What's Tom Hiding?

Corbett stalls again on Right to Know Request
filed by Keystone Progress

“What’s Tom Hiding?” website created to highlight his lack of openness.

(HARRISBURG)—Keystone Progress (KP) filed a detailed and specific Right to Know Request with Tom Corbett’s Office of Attorney General, seeking information on correspondence concerning Corbett’s politically motivated suit to overturn the federal healthcare reform legislation. Once again, Corbett’s office has refused to honor that request, using a legal loophole to delay providing the information for another 30 days..

The request seeks all correspondence concerning that suit between the OAG and numerous political operatives and organizations. This is KP’s second request for this information. The first was turned down by Corbett’s office.

This request sought more specific information, including emails between his office and the Republican State Leadership Conference (RSLC) and other Republican Party campaign operatives.

Emails released by the Wisconsin Attorney General revealed that Corbett’s office received emails from RSLC, which was organizing the lawsuit. The RTK request is seeking those and similar correspondence. RSLC describes itself as “the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator.”¹ RSLC is organized as a 527 organization which has contributed over $58 million to elect Republicans at the state level.

RSLC was Corbett’s largest contributor during his race for reelection as attorney general, giving him $691,000, according to the PA Department of State.²

“We’re beginning to think that Corbett is delaying because he thinks no one cares about this,” said Michael Morrill, executive director of Keystone Progress. “That’s why we’ve started another petition; this time to get Corbett to tell the truth.”

The website, www.WhatsTomHiding.com, has a simple petition that allows people to express their outrage at Corbett’s stonewalling.

The website has a “Corbett Disclosure Clock,” which shows the time since the initial request, now at 75 days.

The test of the website reads:

Attorney General Tom Corbett is thumbing his nose at routine requests for basic information that he is required to provide under Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. Keystone Progress has been seeking information about illegal contacts between the Office of Attorney General and Republican Party and campaign operatives about his politically-motivated lawsuit that will deny healthcare coverage to Pennsylvanians. So far, Corbett has refused to comply with this simple request, stretching deadlines, using legal loopholes and refusing to accept a hand delivered request.

Voters across Pennsylvania are demanding that Corbett come clean immediately. Join us by signing our petition. Tell Corbett to come clean now!

The petition will be delivered to Corbett in the near future.

¹ Republican State Leadership Committee website http://www.rslc.com/about-rslc/
²Pennsylvania Department of State http://www.campaignfinance.state.pa.us/ContributionSearchResults.aspx?RequestID=346769&StartRow=1&RowsPerPage=10&SortOrder=0

Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania’s largest online progressive network with over 200,000 subscribers. Keystone Progress is also a statewide communications network specializing in effective earned media and online organizing to advance progressive leadership and values.

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