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Mississippi State Agency Spends $18,000 Defending $200 Fine

Published March 13, 2019 at 6:37 AM EDT

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with your tax dollars at work. A Mississippi lawmaker requested a document from the State Department of Public Safety, which declined to provide it. So another agency, the Ethics Commission, fined them $200. Public safety officials said it was about the principle, and The Clarion-Ledger reports they've spent $18,000 on legal fees challenging the $200 fine so far. In financial terms, even if they win, they lose. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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