ConnectforHealthLogoBetween the Colorado Health Exchange’s fight to keep its books closed and its fight to not turn over emails, one really has to wonder what the exchange has to hide. Perhaps now Colorado will know, thanks to a court victory by the Independence Institute that will compel Connect for Health Colorado to turn over emails requested by investigative reporter Todd Shepherd.

This court case has dragged on for almost 18 months since Shepherd requested emails in February 2015 for a limited number of days for three employees of the health exchange. Connect for Health Colorado denied the requests, claiming that Shepherd had to submit a specific email topic on those three days. Shepherd hired former Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s firm to push back.

According to the court documents, Judge Elizabeth Starrs found that “the Plaintiff has sufficiently specified the records requested and CFHC can easily identify the records sought.”

In response, Shepherd’s attorney Geoff Blue remarked:

“Finally, the health exchange’s stonewalling is over. This is a good day for transparency and open government. Government must be held accountable for how it spends money and makes health care decisions.”

See, there is good reason to demand transparency from the Exchange since wasteful spending ($40,000 on chapstick?) and stonewalling have been a hallmark of this boondoggle experiment. Kudos to Shepherd, Independence Institute, and Blue for winning a victory for transparency.