As the charges and countercharges mount in the firing of Gov. Matt Blunt’s deputy counsel, it would be easy to overlook the central issue. That is whether the governor’s office has flouted the Missouri Sunshine Law.
Scott Eckersley was fired late last month by Ed Martin, Blunt’s chief of staff. The reasons given, after Eckersley spoke out about his dismissal, were poor performance, moonlighting on state time and using his state computer to contact a Web site devoted to group sex.
kAmt4<6CD=6J[ b_[ D2JD 96 H2D 7:C65 3642FD6 96 25G:D65 |2CE:?[ 9:D 3@DD[ 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C E92E E96:C A@D:E:@? @? 2?5 92?5=:?8 @7 @77:4:2= 6\>2:=D 4@?EC25:4E65 E96 @77:46’D HC:EE6? A@=:4J[ H9:49 D2:5 E92E 6\>2:=D H6C6 AF3=:4 C64@C5D 2D 567:?65 3J E96 $F?D9:?6 {2H 2?5 :? >@DE 42D6D >FDE 36 C6E2:?65 7@C 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 :DDF6 42>6 E@ =:89E H96? %@?J |6DD6?86C[ E96 65:E@C:2= A286 65:E@C @7 E96 $AC:?87:6=5 }6HD\{6256C[ C6BF6DE65[ F?56C E96 DE2E6’D @A6? C64@C5D =2H[ 6\>2:=D D6?E 3J |2CE:? E@ G2C:@FD 8C@FAD C682C5:?8 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= y2J }:I@?’D 92?5=:?8 @7 2 =2HDF:E] (96? E96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46 56?:65 E96 C6BF6DE[ D2J:?8 ?@ DF49 6\>2:=D 6I:DE65[ |6DD6?86C 3FCC@H65 :?] w6 925 2 4@AJ @7 @?6 @7 E96 6\>2:=D :? BF6DE:@?]k^Am
kAmp7E6C |2CE:? 25>:EE65 56=6E:?8 E96 6\>2:=D[ q=F?E H2D BF@E65 2D D2J:?8 E96J H6C6 ?@E AF3=:4 C64@C5D 2?JH2J]k^Am
kAm}@E =@?8 27E6CH2C5[ t4<6CD=6J[ H9@ D2:5 96 25G:D65 |2CE:? E92E E96 6\>2:=D D9@F=5 36 C6E2:?65[ 8@E E96 2I]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?@C’D =2E6DE H@C5 @? E96 :DDF6[ 2D C6A@CE65 3J %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 2?5 6=D6H96C6[ :D E92E 9:D @77:46 92D ?@ A@=:4J @? 6\>2:=D 2D AF3=:4 C64@C5D @E96C E92? :E :D 9:D AC24E:46 E@ 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 $F?D9:?6 {2H]k^Am
kAm$@ 72C E9:D D@F?5D =:<6 D@>6 AC65:4E23=6 324< 2?5 7@CE9 36EH66? E96 AC6DD 2?5 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D @G6C H92E :D 2?5 :D ?@E 2 AF3=:4 C64@C5 — 2?5 E96C6’D C@@> 7@C =68:E:>2E6 5:D28C66>6?E 96C6[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :? E96 42D6 @7 6\>2:=D[ 2? 2C62 H96C6 4@FCED 92G6 ?@E AC@G:565 >F49 8F:52?46]k^Am
kAmqFE H92E 42>6 ?6IE :D A2:?7F==J E6==:?8] (96? t4<6CD=6J’D =2HJ6C C6BF6DE65 C64@C5D 23@FE 9:D 4=:6?E’D 7:C:?8 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C’D A@=:4J @? E96 $F?D9:?6 {2H[ 96 H2D 56?:65 @? E96 32D:D E92E E96 C64@C5D D@F89E H6C6 4=@D65 A6CD@??6= C64@C5D 2?5 4@?7:56?E:2= 2EE@C?6J 4@>>F?:42E:@?D]k^Am
kAm|6DD6?86C[ 2 D62D@?65 A@=:E:42= C6A@CE6C[ H2D 7=2336C82DE65 3J E92E C6DA@?D6 3642FD6 E96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46 925[ F?D@=:4:E65[ D6?E 9:> 2?5 @E96C A@=:E:42= C6A@CE6CD 2 42CE@? 7F== @7 t4<6CD=6J’D 6\>2:=D[ :?4=F5:?8 AC:G:=6865 4=:6?E\2EE@C?6J 4@>>F?:42E:@?D[ :?E6?565 E@ A=246 t4<6CD=6J :? 2 325 =:89E 2?5 5:G6CE 2EE6?E:@? 7C@> E96 F?56C=J:?8 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm|@C6 ?2DE:?6DD H:== F?7@=5 :? E9:D 2772:C[ ?@?6 @7 H9:49 :D =:<6=J E@ AC@G6 7=2EE6C:?8 E@ E96 8@G6C?@C’D @77:46]k^Am