UPDATED BELOW with Brock’s public records request, which was filed Thursday morning with five state entities. The Shumlin administration says it will comply with the request, but notes that it is “enormous” and “will take significant time and resources.”
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Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin) capped off the final debate of his gubernatorial campaign Wednesday with a peculiar question for Gov. Peter Shumlin:
“Gov. Shumlin, I’m told the state has spent thousands of dollars on settlements or claims ranging from discrimination to wrongful termination to sexual harassment involving state employees and officials,” Brock said during the forum, which was sponsored by the Burlington Free Press. “I’ve also been told that the state has attempted to hide this misconduct by improperly insisting on confidentiality agreements as part of these settlements.”
(You can watch the exchange at 1:07:30)
After citing Vermont’s public records law, Brock got to his question: “Wouldn’t you agree that these cases — especially when public money is involved — should not be kept secret from the public? And will you insist that your administration will open up these settlements whether litigation is involved or not so that the public can see where its money is spent?”
So what on earth was Brock talking about?
We asked him that after the debate, but he wouldn’t say much — except that his campaign or someone close to it plans to file a public records request related to the question.
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Brock reminds me of a Payday Bar- a little too nutty.
Has Mr. Brock pledged to give money to charity if the Governor complies with the request?
Sounds like someone hooked the horse up to the wrong end of the cart. Mr. Brock, in the future, it might serve you well to do the research first and then probe the issue *afterward*.
Why drag the these people’s situatiions into this that may have been sexually harassed or suffered discrimination? What purpose does this serve – none to them! If there was a settlement, these people got some closure, leave it be. Doesn’t make your argument that some money was spent and some indiscretions happened somewhere in the past. Tell me how you would stop these things from happening in the first place – so that the money is not spent. Leave these people alone.