Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, is fighting to conceal the contents of an email excluded this year from a public records request issue by an Indianapolis attorney.
The records withheld—a “political white paper,” according to the IndyStar—relate to a lawsuit Pence joined alongside Texas Gov. Greg Abbot.
The two governors were reportedly working to halt President Barack Obama’s efforts at immigration reform—specifically, the president’s plan to offer “deferred enforcement of immigration laws for parents born in the United States, and for children who entered the United States before they were 16 years old,” the Star reports.
Pence had hired an Indianapolis law firm to join the case, which was filed in Texas. Records connected to Pence’s decision to hire the outside law firm were sought after by Indianapolis attorney William Groth under public records laws. While Pence produced some of the records, many contained substantial redactions.
The case is causing concern among transparency advocates who see the arguments favoring Pence’s decision as having far-reaching consequences, enabling employees of the executive branch to arbitrarily claim broad exemptions, without rhyme or reason.
