FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- An Alaska judge ruled Saturday that the Fairbanks North Star Borough must release employment documents pertaining to U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller.
Retired Superior Court Judge Winston Burbank said the public interest outweighs the right to privacy of Miller, the GOP U.S. Senate nominee who has said he won't answer any more questions about his background before the Nov. 2 election, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
"I hold that although Mr. Miller has a legitimate expectation of privacy in those documents, Mr. Miller's right to privacy is indeed outweighed by the public's significant interest in the background of a public figure who is running for the U.S. Senate," Burbank said, putting the order on ice until Tuesday to make time for an appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court. He ruled that not all the requested documents would be released, and some would be partially redacted.
Several news organizations in Alaska brought the case forward in an attempt to access the personnel files of the Senate hopeful from his days as a part-time lawyer for the borough. Jim Whitaker, a former mayor of the borough, has claimed Miller faced disciplinary action during his time there for unethical use of computers for political gain.
Miller's attorney was unsure whether he would appeal the ruling.
"Joe's attorney is going to confer with Joe to review the decision and see if an appeal is even necessary," campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto told the News.
