No transparency in the Haley Barbour administration

Haley Barbour wants to defy our state legislature and withhold financial documents related to his blind trust. A new that has passed but not taken effect requires transparency on such documents. Haley Barbour is the only political figure in Mississippi who has a blind trust. A blind trust allows the Governor to hold on to his financial assets, while relinquishing direct access.

From the Clarion Ledger:

"I don't know of any legal authority to (deny public access), but the commission asked the attorneys to come back and look for legal authority to support their position, and we'll consider it," Tom Hood, the commission's executive director, said after the meeting.

A lawyer for Griffin Norquist, a banker in Yazoo City who manages Barbour's trust, also attended the meeting.

Barbour, a Republican and former Washington lobbyist whose client list included tobacco companies, created a blind trust when he took office in 2004. The tools are used mostly by politicians at the federal level and are supposed to prevent conflicts of interest by shielding them from their assets.

When will Mississippians realize the fact that we have a crook for a governor who operates under the guidance of the Bush-Cheney political playbook on a state level? Just like Cheney refusing to sell his financial interests before taking power, Barbour has insisted on keeping his ability to profit from his term in office. We have a lobbyist who serves as a part-time governor. When the numbers are released, Mississippians will see the truth. What does he have to hide? Cotton Mouth wants to know.