In all the years I covered Richard Blumenthal as Connecticut Attorney General and later Senator, I can't recall him ever holding an off the record meeting with reporters. That’s exactly what U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder did this past week regarding the Associated Press scandal.

During a taping of Face the State set to air this Sunday on WFSB Channel 3, I asked Blumenthal what he thought of Holder’s actions.
“In my view everything should be on the record….public officials ought to be open and transparent.”

Blumenthal said he was very concerned and stunned by the revelations that the Justice Department was essentially spying on reporters, and characterized the feds’ moves as a chilling effect on journalists. He also weighed on whether the state should limit access to information in the Newtown school massacre.

I asked Blumenthal whether he supports a move by some state lawmakers to limit public access to information regarding the Newtown massacre.

DH: Do you support the move at the state capitol to keep some of the information private, limit the freedom of information to reporters have had?

RB: I would not impose any general kind of ban on revealing information. I think it has to be a case by case piece of information by piece of information. I’m very sympathetic to the families of Newtown and I think there ought to be some protection for them, but any sort of sweeping or broad general kind of restrictions on the free flow of information I think is a bad precedence.”

We also discussed immigration, Sandy Hook, rail safety, and Hillary Clinton. Watch the segment right here: http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8951076