BexarMet stalled reporter on controversial water contract

By Jennifer Peebles | Thursday, November 20th, 2008
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San Antonio’s troubled water utility intentionally “slow-boated” a newspaper reporter’s public records request for a contract fraught with conflicts of interest, the Express-News reported this morning citing the utility’s own internal e-mail communication.

Using e-mails obtained through the Texas Public Information Act, the Express-News found that BexarMet spokesman T.J. Connolly purposefully stalled Express-News reporter Josh Baugh’s request for the contract with WECo, a water wholesaler.

The e-mail correspondence between Connolly and others in BexarMet may show that some press members’ fears are founded — that public officials ask the state attorney general’s office for a ruling as a way to stall a public records request.

“We have 10 days, unless an AG opinion is sought,” BexarMet lawyer Trey Wilson wrote, as quoted by the Express-News. “This will buy us about 90 days.”

The newspaper says Connolly replied, “I want this slow-boated as best we can.” Connolly also wrote that Baugh “can go (expletive) himself.”

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 and is filed under Conflicts of interest, Ethics, Freedom of information, Government transparency, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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