Thousands Of Emails Between Former OK AG, Oil Companies Yet To Be Released

Despite court orders and a missed deadline, thousands of emails from the former Oklahoma Attorney General still haven't been released.

Now, the new AG says it's nearly impossible to get the remaining emails gathered in time; but experts say if the records were kept properly it shouldn't be that hard.

2/22/2017 Related Story: Scott Pruitt's Emails Released After Lawsuit, Senate Confirmation

Scott Pruitt now heads the US Environmental Protection Agency, but, through the state open records act, the Center for Media and Democracy requested all emails relating to Pruitt's dealings with oil companies back when he was the Oklahoma attorney general.

Two years after the CMD filed suit, they still don't have them all.

Over 7,000 emails between Pruitt and energy companies have been released, but the CMD said it's still waiting for thousands more.

Professor Joey Senate from the OSU school of media and communication strategy said, "You would hope that when you ask for emails they would be easily searchable."

Senat said when it comes to open records requests for a state agency, it shouldn't take that long.

"Our statute doesn't state a specific time, it states prompt and reasonable access," he said.

Senat said state agencies have been known to stretch out releasing records, but it doesn't make it right. In fact, Senat said Governor Mary Fallin's office has been sued multiple times for it.

"So it seems to make a mockery of the open records act when a state agency can take years to provide records. They actually have a duty to provide records to the public," he said.

Senat said the general public, media included, are entitled to access the information in the format it's created - whether it be email or paper documents.

With emails, he said one would hope they would be easily searchable.

"When they say no to a reporter or delay or denying access, they are doing that to the public, they are denying the public the right to participate in its own government," Senat said.

He said if there's an issue with compiling the records then that becomes a violation of the state record management act.

A judge has given Pruitt's office until Tuesday to release the rest of the emails.