IndyStar's long-running effort to obtain the Pence emails

IndyStar has been engaged in a long-running effort to obtain emails from Vice President Mike Pence’s personal AOL account.

The controversy over his use of a private email account exploded Thursday, but the story has its roots in another batch of emails.

In 2014, IndyStar was investigating a possible conflict of interest involving Seema Verma, a powerful state health care consultant who was simultaneously working for one of the state’s largest Medicaid contractors. Verma is now President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In conjunction with that investigation, IndyStar requested emails involving Verma and one of Pence’s cabinet members with whom she butted heads.

About nine months later — well after IndyStar published its report on Verma — the Pence administration provided nearly 1,500 pages of emails.

Tucked among them was an email to Pence’s personal AOL account from a low-level Pence staffer who was forwarding a news clip from the local business journal.

At that time, it was unknown whether he used the personal email address routinely for state business or to discuss sensitive issues.

The use of private emails to conduct public business later exploded as a major 2016 presidential campaign issue. That’s when IndyStar filed a public records request seeking emails from Pence’s personal account.

What ensued was a monthslong effort to access those records.

In September, IndyStar requested all emails between Pence’s AOL account and any state government account, but his administration declined to fulfill that request, arguing it was too broad. IndyStar narrowed its request, but the administration again argued it was too broad.

In a third public records query, IndyStar narrowed its request to meet the administration’s parameters that it name a specific sender and recipient and include a date range of no more than six months and search terms.

Pence’s office accepted that request. Shelley Triol, Pence’s communications director, said on Oct. 27, “we will send responsive records on a rolling basis as they are located and reviewed for confidential material.”

But Pence’s office never did provide any records.

RELATED STORIES:

SELECTED PENCE EMAILS: Here are some of Vice President Mike Pence's AOL emails

PENCE'S RESPONSE: Mike Pence: 'No comparison' between his, Hillary Clinton's use of emails

PENCE'S OTHER EMAIL ISSUE: Mike Pence asks Indiana Supreme Court to stay out of his redacted emails

BACK HOME: With Pence gone, fellow Republicans undo his work in Indiana

In the weeks before he left the governor’s office, IndyStar filed a complaint with the public access counselor, arguing that the administration had failed to provide the records in a timely manner and expressing concerns about how the records request would be fulfilled since the incoming administration would have no access to Pence’s personal email account.

The access counselor decided in the state’s favor, arguing that Pence’s transition to the White House presented extenuating circumstances.

Despite the setback, IndyStar continued to pursue the records under the new administration of Gov. Eric Holcomb.

Late this past week, Holcomb's office released 29 pages of emails, but withheld an unknown number of others, arguing they are exempt from Indiana's records laws.

IndyStar continues to pursue additional records, as well as more information about those the Holcomb administration is withholding.

Call IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.