Blunt Confidant Admitted in Deposition That Orders Were Given to Destroy Emails

From a good story by the soon-to-retire Jo Mannies in yesterday's Post-Dispatch:

Herschel and AuBuchon denied repeatedly in their testimonies that they had ever instructed the administration's computers experts to take action that would have guaranteed the destruction of computer backup tapes that contained e-mails being sought by Eckersley's lawyers and various news organizations, including the Post-Dispatch.

Two computer technicians — Chris Wilkerson and Dan Ross, the state's custodian of records — have told state investigators that AuBuchon, Herschel and Martin had directly or indirectly issued such orders.

This matters as much because of the giver of the testimony as it does because of the content. 

Dan Ross and Matt Blunt have a long history together, with Ross following Blunt to the administration from a top perch in the Blunt Secretary of State office.  Ross was one of Blunt's first hires as he transitioned into the Secretary of State's office in 2000-2001, taking the number two spot as Executive Deputy Secretary of State and actually running the shop for a spell while Blunt fulfilled Naval service requirements.

In other words, even someone who is as tight with Matt Blunt as Dan Ross has admitted --counter to what others in the administration have said-- that orders were given to destroy public records.  Dan Ross has every reason to try to protect Matt Blunt, yet even he realizes the truth precludes an honest defense.