Your letter to Marv Russow dated June 12, 2007, has been referred to me for a response.

Federal law protects unions from harassing requests for information, and specifically provides that a member must have “just cause” to review a union’s records. Based on this, you were asked in 2006, and again on May 14, 2007, to follow the federal law and provide the Union with a simple statement of reasons in support of your request for information. Now twice you have refused to follow the law. As such, it is clear that you are interested only in playing games to advance your political agenda and in wasting the Union’s resources. While you give lip service in your letter to “democracy,” following the “rule of law” is an essential component of any democratic institution. Accordingly, I urge you to follow the law and provide the undersigned with a statement of reasons in support of your request for information.