FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2012
Contact: Jason Doré
225-389-4495

Recall Chairmen resign, while effort still fails to follow Public Records Law

Ten days after filing official public records request with the Recall Jindal, Recall Kleckley, Recall Pearson and Recall Cromer committees, the Republican Party of Louisiana has yet to receive access to the name, address, and signature of each person that has signed the recall petition, pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Act (LA R.S. 44:1-41).

Louisiana law states that “upon the signature of the first elector, the recall petition, including the name, address, and signature of each elector who has signed thereon, shall be a public record. The chairman, or the vice chairman when acting as the chairman, shall be the custodian thereof. The petition and the custodian shall be subject to all of the provisions of R.S. 44:31 et seq. (LA R.S. 18:1300.5B).”

The specific provision of the Louisiana Public Records Law in Revised Statute 44:31 states that “providing access to public records is a responsibility and duty of the appointive or elective office of a custodian and his employees.”

Today the Republican Party of Louisiana announced that Jay Newcomb, chairman of the Recall Cromer committee, and Margaret Campo, chairman of the Recall Pearson committee have formally resigned with the Secretary of State’s office.

“I would like to thank Ms. Campo and Mr. Newcomb for deciding to step down,” said Chairman Villere. “They have made the right choice in refusing to associate themselves with such a shadowy and secretive organization. As for the recall committees, we still expect our public records request to be fulfilled in accordance with Louisiana law by the new custodians.”

Today the Republican Party of Louisiana has issued formal public records requests with the new chairmen of the Recall Cromer and Recall Pearson committees. The chairmen have 72 hours to respond to the request pursuant to LA R.S. 44:32.

The leadership of the Recall Jindal and Recall Kleckley committees have yet to produce the proper campaign finance reports, in adherence to Louisiana ethics law.

Louisiana campaign finance law requires a finance report be filed “not later than the forty-fifth day after the official filing of the copy of the recall petition with the secretary of state…if the aggregate amount of contributions, loans, and transfers of funds received and accepted or expenditures made equals or exceeds two hundred dollars at any time during the aggregating period (LA RS 18:1486B & C(2)a).”

The committees filed their petitions with the Secretary of State’s office ninety-six days ago on March 22, 2012, making their report fifty-one days late.

“We have a right under Louisiana law to know who is funding these divisive efforts and to examine the petitions, which are legally public records. I believe the recall leaders refuse to file campaign finance reports because they are being funded by liberal teacher unions and that they refuse to divulge the number of signatures they have gathered because their support is minuscule across the state of Louisiana,” said Villere.