New Jersey Cartoon: Corzine E-mails With Ex Remain Private

The New Jersey Supreme Court declined to order Gov. Corzine to release e-mail exchanges with his former girlfriend Carla Katz, who lead the largest public employees’ union in New Jersey while the state was negotiating contracts in 2006 and 2007.

The governor and his legal team cited executive privilege in not making the e-mails public. However, now that the supreme court has ruled in his favor, I think Corzine should make the emails public. This would simultaneously allow him to gain back credibility he lost in potentially hiding information from the public, as well as smack back against Republicans who have gained traction with the issue.

That is, if he doesn't have anything to hide.

Corzine Wants To Keep It a Secret

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and former state worker's union president Carla Katz, who dated before he became governor, have been fighting to keep the e-mails they exchanged during budget negotiations private since Tom Wilson, The Republican State Committee Chairman, and several news organizations, including The Associated Press, requested the correspondence.

A three-judge appeals panel reversed a lower court ruling that the e-mails be made public. The appeals court ruled that the release of the e-mails could have "a chilling effect the governor's ability or willingness to solicit advice, or to accept unsolicited advice in the future."

Personally, I think that since appellate court has upheld the principle that Corzine has been fighting for, he should release all the e-mails he exchanged with Katz to prove to the public that none of them influences the state worker contract negotiations last year.

Until he does, this issue will remain a cloud over his head, especially compared to the recent shifts for a more transparent government by Barack Obama.

Tom Wilson's money problems

For more info on the NJ GOP's money woes, click here.

Wilson's big stick

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Here's the sketch: