Petrelis Files

$300 Needed to Copy Palin's Emails & Calendar

I filed a public records request on Monday with Gov. Palin's office in Juneau for copies of already-released emails and her official calendar. If I were provided with the copies, I'd post everything on the web, so lots of eyes could examine the records. But I've run into a road block.

The governor's office requires a tad more than $300 in copying fees, before they'll share the files with me. A mere pittance for Wall Street executives, $300 is money I don't have. If anyone wants to pay that fee for me, I'd really appreciate the favor. Payment can be made through Paypal.com using my addy: mpetrelis@aol.com.

My next move is to contact sunshine advocates in Alaska and get their advice about requesting a fee waiver. I should also check to see if Ms. Fabrello can offer a solid commitment to copy and send Democracy and full transparency demand that every effort be made to read the emails and Palin's gubernatorial calendar.

Click here to read my request. And here is the email reply from Palin's office this morning:

Mr. Petrelis,

I left you a voice mail this morning returning your call from yesterday. There are 30 records requests in front of yours, and while we have compiled the information you are requesting, we need to take care of the records requests ahead of your first.

Also, the records are not available in electronic format. The records had to be printed so that they could be reviewed by the Department of Law for any privileged and confidential information. Providing the records in electronic form will involve an additional cost, which you will be obligated to pay. The additional cost is due to the fact that the records will need to be scanned into portable document format (pdf).

Given the limited resources of our office and the volume of records involved, we will need to use an outside vendor to scan the responsive records. If you want the documents in electronic format I will need to get you a fee estimate.

If you want the documents sent to you the way they are (paper) there will be a copy fee of $306.30 (3,063 pages at 10 cents a copy).

Please let me know if you are still interested in receiving these documents and I can get these documents to the vendor for copying hopefully next week.

Sincerely,
Michelle Fabrello
michelle.fabrello@alaska.gov
Governor's Office