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http://www.heraldandnews.com/members/forum/letters/kid-lawyer-claims-bias-by-newspaper/article_785fc5a5-a820-5996-8962-a89771d22d5c.html

KID lawyer claims bias by newspaper

by former Klamath Irrigation District attorney Lawrence Kogan, letter to the editor of Herald and News 7/26/16

H&N’s editors, once again, draw factual conclusions favoring one local constituency and ideology over another, effectively violating professional journalist ethical standards.
 
KID’s 2/29/16 Meeting Minutes do not state I was hired solely to assist the district in negotiating a contract to repair the deteriorating C Canal flume; rather they state I was retained “to oversee the Flume contracts and give [the district] some specialized guidance.”
 
KID Board members Cacka & Carleton, who have since feigned ignorance, were familiar with my federal law and policy work when I was hired. Indeed, they had been forewarned by Reclamation contractor/ Klamath Basin Agreement moderator, Ed Sheets, about my opposition to the Montana CSKT Water Compact the implementation of which he also moderates.
 
My engagement agreement, posted on H&N’s website, clearly defines my primary task as preventing that contract and the basin agreements from compromising district patrons’ land and water interests and identifies my Montana work.
 
H&N’s editors unfairly support Cacka’s and Carleton’s claims, made in ethics and bar complaints, that they had been deceived about the purpose of my hire.
 
They cleverly try to absolve these directors of their state law obligation to scrutinize my contract.
 
H&N’s editors conveniently overlook the fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and obedience such directors owe to district patrons and the Board.
 
These duties required them to carefully examine my contract, especially in the absence of a KID manager.
 
These duties also prohibited Cacka & Carleton from repeatedly disrupting district business, having my board-confidential unredacted engagement agreement faxed to Malin Potato Cooperative, and publicly disclosing its privileged contents through H&N.
 
Why hasn’t H&N reported this, or Cheyne-Knoll-Smiths’ lack of knowledge regarding Attorney William Ganong’s authorized tasks, considering his 30-year failure to provide the district with an engagement agreement?
 
This is editorialism and an improper exercise of editorial discretion.
 
Lawrence Kogan

 

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