Gawker’s John Cook reports on an unusual decision handed down by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie‘s office. Cook filed an Open Records Act request to see any correspondence between Christie and Fox News chief Roger Ailes. That request was denied. What made the denial unusual was the basis for it:
While declining to confirm the existence of any such records, Christie’s office said they “would be exempt from disclosure…based upon the executive privilege and well-settled case law.” In other words, Christie’s staff refused to search for any records—which, given the undisputed reports of a dinner and phone call, almost certainly exist—on the basis that Ailes is a confidential adviser whose comments should be shielded from public scrutiny.
Ailes of course is a former political adviser, and in interviews he has made it clear that he still speaks to current and former politicians (some of whom he has employed). In an interview with The Daily Beast, Ailes acknowledged that he and Christie have talked, though Christie told Ailes flatly that he had no intention of running for President in 2012.
It is also worth noting that Gawker’s Cook has written a number of posts highly critical of Ailes on both personal and professional levels. so this appears to be just the latest attempt to bring the Fox News chief into the spotlight.