Cole judge rules against Senator Hawley in Sunshine suit

 (AP) — A Missouri judge ruled that a state agency previously led by Republican Josh Hawley broke public record laws on purpose to help his U.S. Senate campaign.

Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem on Monday fined the Attorney General’s Office $12,000 and attorney fees, the maximum penalty for violating what’s known as the Sunshine Law.

Open record laws are aimed at making sure the public can access documents related to how taxpayer dollars are spent and how government is being run.

At issue are Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee records requests from 2017 and 2018, when Republican Hawley was serving as state attorney general and campaigning for former Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s seat.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee requested emails and other communications between Attorney General’s Office staff and politicos tied to Hawley’s campaign, claiming that official staffers were being directed by campaigners in order to help Hawley’s Senate bid.