BREAKING: Spotlight Delaware Covers House NDA Story
From Nick Stonesifer. Before I link to excerpts, I really like how Spotlight Delaware places stories in context:
Why Should Delaware Care?
Non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, have often been used by powerful individuals to keep unflattering or unethical behavior under wraps. A new report from Spotlight Delaware found Democratic leadership pushed staffers to sign NDAs of their own, without providing them a copy.
From the story:
Four Democrats in Delaware’s House of Representatives said multiple staffers were directed by former caucus leadership to sign non-disclosure agreements in the past year, without providing them their own copies.
Those representatives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal party actions, said they were blindsided with the information as they voted on new House leadership. A debate ensued, where multiple members raised concerns about the practice and some questioned its legality.
But as former House Majority Whip Kerri Evelyn Harris, a member of the caucus who acts as a bridge between staff and leadership, was getting ready to be elected House majority leader, those representatives said she defended the move.
The news comes less than a week after Democrats selected Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown to serve as the new Speaker of the House, following a single session with former Rep. Valerie Longhurst at the helm.
It’s unclear how many staffers were asked to sign NDAs, and the extent of the agreements. But when members of the caucus asked why they would be signed in the first place, they were told it was to protect constituent confidentiality.
“No one is buying that,” one representative told Spotlight Delaware. “It is especially strange because only some staff were made to sign them, and they were not given copies for their own records.”
Nobody should buy that. In over twenty years of doing constituent work, the thought of violating constituent confidentiality never occurred to me. Or to anyone else I worked with.
Minor Mimi and Turncoat Kerri are off to a great start.
Quote from the article:
“When it comes to the defense of the agreements at this month’s caucus meeting, the spokesperson said Harris “did not have knowledge about the matter of staff NDAs prior to the caucus organizational meeting.””
This is complete BULLSHIT. Harris ADMITTED it was her idea to have the Staff sign NDAs and that she was involved in the process.
If I were that staff spokesperson – I would be pissed that I was asked to lie on her behalf. These people have no respect for staff. You dont ask these kids to lie for you. Wrong.
two points:
1. MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THEIR STAFF ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE DELAWARE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
Once you accept that premise as true, then any “concern” that constituent issues would become public knowledge becomes non-existent. The public cannot learn of constituent issues through FOIA. Period.
And, were that the alleged concern, why wouldnt ALL staffers be asked to sign an NDA – in the House and Senate and on both sides of the aisle??
AND
2. This quote from the article:
“When it comes to the defense of the agreements at this month’s caucus meeting, the spokesperson said Harris “did not have knowledge about the matter of staff NDAs prior to the caucus organizational meeting.””
Now I wasnt at this meeting but I have spoken with several people who were present.
From my conversations, Kerri Harris admitted this NDA debacle was her creation. NOW shes saying she only just learned of it?? If I am wrong, I ask Kerri to come forward and publicly deny being involved in this.
Why do these people think its ok to ask these staffers to lie for them and engage in deceitful conduct for them?
So, Kerri Harris is a liar. Quelle surprise.
Dear Kerri, so are you sticking to your story? I hear that there are 26 folks who might disagree. Credibility is essential in political body leadership. Once gone it’s irretrievable. How is yours? Maybe call Val for some sage advice?
Probably already did.
Therein lies the problem.
Of course she did but now she needs “slither” out of the mud advice.