Mutchler to testify at Blagojevich hearing

Pennsylvania's new open records chief gets tapped to testify in the impeachment hearing of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Terry Mutchler, executive director of the state's Office of Open Records, is expected to testify before an Illinois legislative committee charged with determining whether to recommend the embattled governor be removed from office.

Mutchler, the former public access counselor for the Illinois Attorney General's office, said during her tenure there her office was "routinely" engaged in open records battles with the Blagojevich administration.

"The Blagojevich administration took a standard stance of denial" over the release of basic public records," said Mutchler, who was in Illinois earlier this month to meet with the impeachment committee staff. Among the records denied to members of the media and others were the subpoenas issued to Blagojevich and others in the federal corruption case.

"My understanding is that they are looking into the Freedom of Information Act rule and the denials to build a bigger picture of the case," said Mutchler. "It's a tiny piece in a bigger puzzle."

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