Where to begin?

This is Kentucky, not Michigan. But it's clear that neither states' public records laws permit public officials or employees to "delete, delete, delete" email relating to performance of their public duties or discussions of public business at will.

Kentucky penalizes this conduct at KRS 61.991(2)(a) by declaring that willful concealment or destruction of public records with the intent to violate the open records law is a Class A misdemeanor.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=23117

KRS 519.060(1)(b) criminalizes it by defining "Tampering with public records" as intentionally destroying, mutilating, concealing, removing, or otherwise impairing the availability of public records with the knowledge that the offender "lacks the authority to do so." The statute classifies such conduct as a Class D felony.

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=19864

Oakland County Michigan Commissioner Shelley Taub was advised "by an unnamed county office that a Freedom of Information request had come in regarding commissioners' emails" relating to "a controversial process to name a replacement" for the recently deceased county official. She subsequently texted her fellow commissioners/caucus members to "delete, delete, delete " their emails.

Taub's expressions of regret evoke no sympathy. She acknowledges that she sent the texts and that she knew better, having served in public office since 1993.

Her admission that it was "probably the dumbest thing" she'd ever done elicits skepticism. As dumb as this was, her capacity for dumb acts seems infinitely greater.

Her protestations that the media hasn't really shown her intent "to avoid any more public nastiness" along with her wish that she "had used different words" and that "it would all go away" demonstrate her fundamental misunderstanding of Michigan's public records laws.

The records speak for themselves. Taub doesn't have the option to rewrite them or reframe the narrative in a less offensive — or less illegal — way.

Calls for Commissioner Taub's resignation have been heard and a criminal complaint may still be filed with the Michigan attorney general.

Meanwhile, she continues to serve. Indeed, she defends the use by six county commissioners of their private email accounts to conduct county business, against the advice of counsel, since its not like the commissioners "are in Washington and dealing with anything top secret."

Oh yes, Taub's capacity for even dumber conduct is seemingly limitless.

It is, in fact, dumb, dumb, dumb.

A word to the wise for state and local public officials and employees. This is Kentucky, not Michigan. Don't try this in the Bluegrass State!