Press Release From Red Wheeler

PRESS RELEASE

DATE: October 14, 2008

ISSUANCE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUBJECT: CANDIDATE SUES INCUMBENT FOR RIGHT TO KNOW

For Immediate Release:

Earlier today Harold "Red" Wheeler, Democratic candidate for Sheriff of Hillsborough County, filed suit in the Hillsborough County Superior Court, seeking the court's assistance in obtaining information under the states "Right To Know" laws.

The suit against the incumbent sheriff, James Hardy, complains that a right to know request was sent to Hardy over a month ago, and the information requested still has not been released. Under state law, a right to know request must be answered within 5 days.

"This is not just a right to know issue, it is a tax payer issue," said Wheeler. "Public funds were used to pay for the certification of a privately owned dog, and now Jim Hardy is trying to hide that fact from the taxpayers of Hillsborough County."

After the suit was filed this morning, the campaign received information that Hardy may have taken steps to transfer ownership of the dog to the county. When asked if this changed the right to know lawsuit in any way, Wheeler said no.

"I have not been able to confirm that ownership of the dog has been transferred. We do know that the Sheriff's secretary was making calls at the end of last week in an attempt to get documentation on the dog, including the certifications that I filed the right to know request about. Does this change anything? I don’t think so. The fact remains that the County spent taxpayer money certifying a private dog, and Jim Hardy has not complied with the right to know request. If anything, the fact that he's making these last minute scrambles to cover it up makes it even worse."

The petition was filed in the Northern District Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester Tuesday morning. A hearing date has not been set yet. Wheeler is represented in the suit by Attorney Joseph Kelly Levasseur of Manchester.