The Dean On The Robin Smith Letter

By Kleinheider Posted on July 14, 2008 at 1:00 am

The Knoxville News-Sentinel’s Tom Humphrey gets in on the action covering the disclosure on this website of correspondence between TNGOP Chair Robin Smith and Governor Phil Bredesen regarding her (former) position on Tennessee’s Human Rights Commission:

Lydia Lenker, spokeswoman for Bredesen, said she had received a copy of Smith’s original e-mail but had not provided a copy to anyone. She said that e-mail and other correspondence to the governor in his official capacity are public records.

“Anyone who e-mails the governor, whether they realize it or not, that document becomes a public document,” she said. “That’s sometimes a little jarring for people to learn.”

Lenker said Bredesen, who was on vacation last week, was “aware of the situation” involving Smith’s e-mail but had not, to her knowledge, responded to it. She said no political considerations were involved in the appointment of Pierce to the Human Rights Commission, which was “a pretty standard procedure” of filling a vacated seat.

Smith could not be reached for comment Sunday.

A.C. Kleinheider, who oversees the Post Politics blog, declined to say who gave him the copy of Smith’s e-mail.

SEE ALSO:
The Post Politics report
Jim Grinstead
Daily Kos
R. Neal
autoegocrat
Knoxville Talks

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Tags: Barack Obama, Bill Hobbs, n-word lovers, Phil Bredesen, Robin Smith's best friends, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, TNGOP  

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