"An Idaho judge has fined Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin $750 for her 'bad faith' violations of the Idaho Public Records Act, and also ordered her to pay the Idaho Press Club's attorney fees and costs for its successful lawsuit challenging her improper denial of public records requests from four different Idaho reporters for public comments submitted to her 'indoctrination' task force.

"McGeachin claimed an array of exemptions, from several unrelated federal laws, to 'executive privilege,' to Idaho public records exemptions dealing with Fish & Game licenses, trade secrets, constituent communications to legislators, law enforcement investigations, Human Rights Commission proceedings and more justified withholding the records. All were 'plainly inapplicable,' 4th District Judge Steven Hippler ruled.

"'The fact that respondent found counsel that was willing to advance frivolous arguments and positions does not make respondent's reliance thereon reasonable,' the judge wrote. 'As demonstrated above, the exemptions cited in response … were so irrelevant to the Feedback Form that it appeared respondent may have blindly selected them at random.'

"'The disclosure of public records is prescribed by law,' the judge wrote, 'and fear mongering has no place in the calculus. If public officials were required to disclose public records only to those, including media, they believe will support the government's actions, we will have shed the principles of our democracy and evolved into an autocratic state where criticism of public officials is not permitted.'

"The judge found McGeachin's actions to be both 'frivolous' and 'deliberate and in bad faith.'

"'Based primarily on the plainly inapplicable, baseless exemptions proferred by Respondent in refusing disclosure,' the judge wrote, 'it appears to the Court that Respondent would stop at nothing, no matter how misguided, to shield public records from the public.'"