Dems call on Sen. Hansen for emails

The Montana Democratic Party has asked for emails that state Sen. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, sent to or from any personal email accounts related to state business — a request filed one day after Hansen said Gov. Steve Bullock violated state law by deleting his emails from when he was state attorney general.

In a letter dated Oct. 27, Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Nancy Keenan said that she is requesting all emails sent from Hansen’s tenure as a state representative in the 2011 and 2013 legislative sessions and as a state senator in the 2015 legislative session.

Kennan added in the letter that Hansen recently sent a press release related to state business from a private gmail account.

“Since Sen. Hansen is making such a big deal about transparency and the retention of electronic public records, there should be absolutely no delay in making this information completely available to the public,” Keenan said.

She added that emails involving state business would include those related to political strategy as well as those related to the press conference held in Great Falls since it was held in her capacity as a state senator.

Hansen said last week that she has maintained all her emails related to transactions of state business.

Hansen said she received the request Monday afternoon and that she would respond to any legitimate requests in the letter.

She said she uses the gmail account for state business because when she was first elected the state did not offer lawmakers an email account that worked. She has continued using that account as her legislative email account ever since, she said.

“I’m not calling it a private system, it’s my legislative email account,” Hansen said.

Hansen said the request highlighted the issue that was the point she was trying to make in her press conference last week: that emails sent by public officials regarding state business should be maintained.