Judge Fines State AG Office, Holly LaBerge $10,000 Each For Withholding Document

This fine relates to the lawsuit filed by former ethics commission executive secretary Stacey Kalberman. Kalberman won that case, showing that she was forced out of her job for her investigation of the 2010 Deal campaign.

It was later learned that LaBerge, Kalberman’s successor at the ethics commission, had written herself a memo about some interactions she had with some of the Governor’s top aids … a memo that Kalberman’s attorneys wished they had been able to use in their court case, and one they charged had been withheld from from them.

Judge Glanville’s order referred to LaBerge in unusually harsh language.  In a sentence that was both underlined and in bold in the order, Glanville said, “the Court is extremely troubled by the behavior of Defendant LaBerge, who has been dishonest and non-transparent throughout these proceedings.”  Two pages later, Glanville again described LaBerge as having “repeatedly proven herself to be dishonest and non-transparent.” 

LaBerge’s attorney, Lee Parks, indicated in a press release that his client intends to appeal Judge Glanville’s order.  Parks argues that his client was never informed by Kalberman’s attorneys that any claims would be made against LaBerge personally. 

“I’m deeply troubled that the state’s top lawyers and the top ethics official would improperly conceal evidence to shield Gov. Deal from accountability. We still don’t know why these public officials worked so hard to keep Gov. Deal from testifying. And we certainly don’t know what he would have said under oath.

 

“Georgia taxpayers are now on the hook for millions of dollars related to this case and Gov. Deal’s cover-up, and we still don’t have answers. Georgia deserves honest leaders and the kind of strong ethics reform that I’ve advocated for years.”