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Tim Kaine's Position on Open Government

Associated Press

Now that Senator Tim Kaine has joined the presidential ticket, his long public career is receiving new scrutiny. One aspect of that career is Kaine’s record on open government. 

Hillary Clinton may be in hot water for hiding her emails. But Tim Kaine has the opposite problem. He and his staff turned over so many records at the end of his time as governor that the Library of Virginia is still in the process of archiving them all. Archivist Roger Christman says the Library of Virginia’s online archive of Kaine’s emails is the first of its kind in the nation. 

“We decided to release it online, and that’s what slows it down because you have to be more responsible about making sure things are restricted."

But, Kaine used his power as governor to shield public access to his calendar after critics questioned how much of his time was devoted to being chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Megan Rhyne at the Virginia Coalition for Open Government says the governor’s schedule should be a public document. 

“We should be able to see who has access to the governor and what kinds of priorities the governor’s administration is pursing."

Governor McAuliffe has also received some criticism for using the working papers exemption. Just last week a justice of the Virginia Supreme Court scolded the governor for shielding access to the list of former felons whose rights were restored under his controversial — and now overturned — executive order.

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