Hawley sanctioned for failing to produce court documents

St. Louis Post-Dispatch metro columnist Tony Messenger reports Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has been fined for failing to produce court documents.

Judge Audrey Fleissig of the Eastern District of Missouri sanctioned Hawley's office for “continued and belated” failure to produce documents for a case involving a wedding photographer who was involved in a May 2012 political protest.

“Defendants have offered no excuse for waiting until after the motion for sanctions was filed to search for additional responsive documents,” the judge wrote.

In December, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem also issued a warning claiming Hawley failed to produce documents in a case envolving EngagePoint Inc.

“Missing deadlines is never acceptable,” said Loree Anne Paradise, Hawley’s deputy chief of staff. “To change the culture of the office, we began in January (2017) a systematic reorganization of the office’s divisions and review of all personnel. We continue to implement those changes.

"We are committed to giving taxpayers the service they deserve while living within our means.”

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