Attempt to smear Leighton Andrews for seeking an inquiry

I am hardly a fan of former Cabinet Minister Leighton Andrews but his has claim that freedom of information requests submitted to Cardiff University represent an attempt to damage his reputation because of concerns he has raised about the treatment of Carl Sargeant is very disturbing

Mr Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life last November, four days after being removed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children following unspecified allegations of sexual harassment made against him which he denied.

According to the Wasting Mule

Writing on his blog , Mr Andrews – now Professor of Practice in Public Service Leadership and Innovation at Cardiff University – states: 

“There have been several attempts, which I suspect have been coordinated, to undermine people who have spoken up in support of Carl Sargeant. I am aware of a number of public servants whose employers have had malicious or anonymous mail about them.
“In my own case, my employer, Cardiff University, has had a series of FoI requests on matters which have nothing to do with my work, but are clearly intended to blacken my reputation or undermine my relationship with the University. Cardiff University, I am pleased to say, has been robust in my defence, as has the Universities and Colleges Union, UCU.”

Mr Andrews has not been told who submitted the freedom of information requests. The university has told him it would be in breach of the Data Protection Act if it did so.

One of the FoI requests referred to by Mr Andrews asks:

“I would like to know details of any disciplinary investigations and/or sanctions involving Leighton Andrews, details of any complaints made against him and details of all complaints raised formally or informally by him since January 1 2017.”

Another asked:

Could I please request under the Freedom of Information Act, Leighton Andrews’ diary since November 5 this year, and details and content of any communication – text, emails, calls, WhatsApp messages - between Leighton Andrews and employees of Wales Online/Media Wales/Western Mail, BBC, ITV, Golwg, The Times, The Daily Mail, Guido Fawkes and Skwawkbox since November 3 2017.”

A third request reads:

“Please provide any communications relating to Leighton Andrews’ behaviour and public comments since November 5 2017, details of all meetings between Leighton Andrews and his superiors (both departmental and within the wider organisational structure) since November 5 2017, and all communications relating to either permission or requests to allow Leighton Andrews to conduct non-university business during normal working hours since November 5 2017.”

A fourth request asks:

“Please provide under the Freedom of Information Act, any communications, notes or minutes relating to the commercial, financial or organisational impact on the university of Leighton Andrews’ recent public comments since the beginning of November 2017. I would also like copies of any communications between Leighton Andrews and email addresses ending in @assembly.wales, @senedd.cymru, @gov.wales, @wales.gsi.gov.uk, and @parliament.uk.”

Writing on his blog, Mr Andrews states:

“In my opinion these FoI requests are malicious, and designed to undermine my reputation and discredit me.

“I am aware that another attack on me is currently being prepared. Others, in public service, have suffered worse.

“These attacks are designed to intimidate and to discourage people from giving evidence to the inquiries that have been established.

“Some people feel too exposed to give evidence. Remember, all of this is happening today, in post-devolution Wales, not in Senator McCarthy’s time in the USA.

“It is deeply damaging to devolution, to the reputation of Welsh Labour, and the reputation of the Welsh Government.”

Mr Andrews said he had kept Mike Payne, the chair of Welsh Labour, informed about what he described as the attacks on him, and said he was grateful for Mr Payne’s supportive approach. He added:

“But the attacks need to stop, and Welsh Labour colleagues need to take action to ensure that they do.”

Mr Payne said:

“I know that Leighton was a very close friend of Carl’s and of course I’m going to be supportive of him.
“I’ve told him that if he has any evidence of people within the party acting in an unacceptable way towards him, and he makes a complaint, the matter will be fully investigated. The same obviously applies if any other party member has similar concerns.
“Nothing can be done at present because Leighton has told me that his employer is not allowed by law to disclose to him the identity of whoever made the FoI requests.”

I support Freedom of Information , but surely  this appears to be case of an attempt to discredit someone who is seeking the truth and justice himself?

We can only wonder if those using the FOI to seek to discredit Leighton Andrews , are those seeking to prevent the full story of the events before and after 
Carl Sargeant sacking from becoming public.

if these FOI have come from within  the Labour Party particularly in the Assembly then it is a reflection of a party that is desperately  trying to suppress  the truth to the extent that it want's to smear a former colleague who is seeking that truth