Headline
Disgraced Republican Operative Ed Martin Wants To Take his Failed Leadership to Washington
For Immediate Release: September 30, 2009 Contact: Ryan Hobart (573) 636-5241 Ext. 125 Disgraced Republican Operative Ed Martin Wants To Take his Failed Leadership to Washington Ousted Blunt Chief of Staff cost taxpayers at least $2 million in legal fees, settlement payments Jefferson City, Mo -- Ed Martin is expected to announce today that he is running for Congress, but many already know him as the disgraced political operative who cost Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars by using his state position for political gain – and then tried to cover it up. While Chief of Staff to former Governor Matt Blunt, Martin was caught “doing political business on the state’s dime,” misusing his state email address “to rally political allies to criticize Nixon over abortion issues and to criticize the process by which Missouri chooses its judges.” (Springfield News-Leader, 9/9/07; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/3/09) Then, Martin tried to hide what he did, violating both the state records retention laws and sunshine laws by deleting the emails in question and refusing to turn them over, and when a fellow Blunt staffer questioned the legality of deleting the emails, Martin fired him. The controversy grew so great that Martin was forced to leave his position. At the time, Gov. Blunt refused to disclose whether he had demanded Martin’s resignation, saying, "If you're confused, that's my intent." (Associated Press, Nov. 20, 2007) But the damage was already done. The legal battle over the records, the wrongful termination suit from the staffer who questioned Martin’s actions, and the resulting investigation ended up costing taxpayers more than $2.1 million. (Post-Dispatch, 3/3/09; AP, 1/8/09, 5/22/09) “Ed Martin’s unethical and illegal actions while working as a Republican operative in the Blunt Administration make him unfit to serve in Congress,” said Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director Brian Zuzenak. “He has already cost Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars. The people of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District can’t afford to see what further damage he could do as their representative.” Since his departure from the Governor’s office, Ed Martin still has not expressed regret for his actions. However, Martin’s own words may best describe his attempt to hide his blatant abuse of public office from Missourians: "It has been a silly, silly circus and it's not served the public well.” -Ed Martin (Associated Press, Jan. 27, 2009) --30--
