Probe faults e-mail policies of ex-Gov. Blunt

Investigators who looked into the e-mail retention practices of former Gov. Matt Blunt asserted Tuesday that his administration violated Missouri’s public records laws.

However, the investigators decided not to refer the matter to prosecutors.

The report wraps up a nearly one-and-a-half-year investigation that began after a former legal counsel claimed he was fired for raising concerns that colleagues were not following public records laws. Blunt has asserted the staffer was fired for legitimate reasons.

Special investigators appointed by the Missouri attorney general’s office did not delve into the reasons for the firing of employee Scott Eckersley, but their report affirmed his assertions that Blunt staffers wrongly deleted some e-mails and failed to follow the state’s open-records laws.

Blunt did not seek re-election last year and concluded his four-year term as governor in January.

The investigators said the extent of Blunt’s personal involvement in his office’s public-records failures could not be determined because he refused to be deposed or interviewed by investigators.

“What also has not been determined is why Governor Blunt left office with no public accounting, no explanation to the public, of his administration’s failure to comply with these two laws” regarding record retention and public access to government records, according to the investigative report.