KC Star: Reporters shoved by governor's security guard

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A security guard for Gov. Matt Blunt shoved Kansas City Star reporters away from the governor's van Monday as they were asking about the firing of a former staff attorney.

Blunt was leaving a VFW medal ceremony in downtown Kansas City when the reporters caught up with him as he tried to leave for another veterans' ceremony in St. Joseph.

The reporters began peppering Blunt with questions about the firing of Scott Eckersley in late September.

Eckersley has said he was fired for challenging the Blunt administration's policy on deleting office e-mails. Blunt's office has said Eckersley, a deputy legal counsel, was fired because of poor work performance and for conducting personal business at work.

As the reporters continued to ask about a report Friday that Eckersley sent an internal office memo challenging the practice of deleting e-mails just weeks before he was fired, Blunt said, "We really do have to go."

When the questions continued, a security guard shoved reporter Kit Wagar into two other reporters, said "We gotta to go," got into the van and drove away.