Thursday, March 15, 2007

State high court hears U of L donation case

The Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments this morning on whether the University of Louisville Foundation can keep secrete the names of more than 45,000 individual donors to the school.

Jon Fleischaker, lawyer for The Courier-Journal, which is seeking the names, told the high court the public has a right to know whois donating and what if anything they are receiving in return.“Many times these aren’t gifts. These are deals… efforts to influence,” Fleischaker said.

But Mike Risley, an attorney for the foundation, said a donor’s right to privacy outweighs the public’s interest. And Risley said making the names public could have a chilling effect on future donations to the university.“Nondisclosure is in the best interest of the public,” he said.

The high court did not make a ruling today.

The newspaper sued the foundation in 2001 after it was denied records related to donations to U of L's McConnell Center for Political Leadership.

See the story from the Courier-Journal.

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