Matt Blunt Fires Back Over MIAC

In a statement sent to The Notebook Monday, Governor Matt Blunt said while he did create the Missouri Information Analysis Center, he is not responsible for the "offensive report" it produced.
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"I certainly do not plan on responding to every false charge or false news report," the former Governor began, "but recent assertions regarding the offensive MIAC report warrants a response."

"Let me be clear about the recent, offensive MIAC report that profiled Missourians that hold conservative political views," Blunt said, in a statement e-mailed by spokesperson Rich Chrismer. "While I did create the Missouri Information Analysis Center to act as a fusion center to gather and disseminate tactical intelligence about specific crimes, I did not create the MIAC to profile citizens based upon political views - liberal or conservative. To my knowledge MIAC never issued anything similar to the recent report while I was governor. If they had, I would not have defended it. I would have taken corrective action immediately and certainly held those responsible, accountable for their actions," Blunt added.

"The assertion that I am somehow responsible for an offensive report that was issued more than a month after I left office and that profiles conservatives is so absurd that one would not think it requires a response from me, but evidently it does," Blunt enclosed.

The 8-page MIAC report referred to anti-abortionists, anti-immigration advocates and supporters of certain third party candidates as potential terrorist threats.

After growing political pressure, the Nixon administration scrapped the report last week, and the Governor said his predecessor was responsible for MIAC. While the report is dated Feb. 20th, there are some signs the report was created while Barack Obama was still President-elect. It's not yet clear exactly when the specific report was compiled or who wrote it.