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Terry Mutchler

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Terry Mutchler is an American attorney and writer. She was formerly a journalist and public servant in Pennsylvania. As a journalist, she won several awards for her reporting and was Associated Press' Bureau Chief in New Jersey and Alaska. She later became an attorney, and was appointed the first executive director of the newly established Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. Her memoir, Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist, and the Politics of Gay Love in America, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir or Biography.

Career

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Mutchler began her career as a journalist, reporting for Allentown, Pennsylvania's local newspaper, The Morning Call after completing a degree in journalism from the Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University.[1] She went on to report for the Associated Press, covering politics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Alaska, and Illinois. She was the first woman to be appointed the Associated Press' Statehouse Correspondent for that region, in 1993.[2][3] She was later transferred, becoming the Associated Press' Bureau Chief for Atlantic City, New Jersey and then Juneau, Alaska.[4] During her time as a journalist, she won several Keystone Awards, a Pennsylvania honor for reporting, and was awarded the Associated Press' state nominee for Young Writer of the Year.[5]

Mutchler attended John Marshall School of Law in Chicago after retiring from the Associated Press, earning a J.D. She clerked in the Supreme Court of Illinois, worked in the Executive Office of the President during the Clinton administration, and was a speechwriter for the Illinois Attorney-General.[5]

In 2008, she was appointed as the first director of the newly established Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.[6] In 2012, Mutchler publicly stated that Pennsylvania's Right to Know law should apply to Penn State University, and that having it applied might have resulted in an earlier disclosure of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.[7][8] Although Mutchler received bipartisan support for a second term,[9] she was not reappointed,[10] and joined private practice at the end of her term.[11][12] During her term as director, the Office of Open Records expanded and doubled its rate of disclosures between 2009 and 2013, and was widely praised as improving public access and transparency in Pennsylvania.[13][14]

In 2019, Mutchler represented State Senator Tarah Toohil who accused Republican State Senator Nicholas Miccarelli III of domestic abuse and assault, and obtained a restraining order against Miccarelli for her.[15][16] A House investigation reportedly found those allegations to be credible and stripped Miccarellli of his privileges.[17][18] In 2021, Mutchler represented Pennsylvania State Senator Katie Muth in a lawsuit against Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System, which is currently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for allegations of corruption in relation to land purchases and statements of profit.[19][20]

In 2016, Common Cause presented her with the Bob Edgar Public Service Achievement Award for her work in improving public accountability and transparency.[21] In 2019, she was inducted into the National Freedom of Information Coalition's State Open Government Hall of Fame for her work in establishing government transparency, as a journalist and as a government official.[22] In 2021, Pennsylvania State University recognised her with the Alumni Fellow Award.[23]

Personal life

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In 2014, Mutchler published a memoir, Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist, and the Politics of Gay Love in America (Seal Press) which detailed her long-term, secret relationship with Illinois Senator Penny Severns, who died of cancer in 1998. The two had kept their relationship secret due to social stigma against same-sex relationships.[3][24][25] The book was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir or Biography in 2015.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "Power Women 2020: Terry Mutchler". Main Line Today. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  2. ^ Colby, Terri (3 October 2014). "Review: 'Under This Beautiful Dome' by Terry Mutchler". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  3. ^ a b Marin, Carol (2015-01-10). "Fear kept Penny Severns' lesbian relationship with editor hidden". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  4. ^ "Terry Mutchler, Esq". Jenkins Law Library. 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  5. ^ a b "Terry Mutchler". Seal Press. 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  6. ^ "New open-records law takes effect today". pennlive. 2009-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  7. ^ "How Open Records law would have stopped sex abuse sooner at Penn State". Poynter. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  8. ^ "Lawmakers shouldn't gag Open Records Office boss: John L. Micek". pennlive. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  9. ^ "Bipartisan support for open records chief". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  10. ^ Andren, Kari (4 August 2014). "Pennsylvania's open records director sitting in limbo". Trib Live. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  11. ^ "Open Records Office director Terry Mutchler resigns post". pennlive. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  12. ^ "First director of Pa. Office of Open Records, public affairs firm co-founder open law firm". pennlive. 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  13. ^ Worden, Amy (24 April 2013). "Pa. Open Records Office keeps facing new challenges". Inquirer. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  14. ^ "State's records law hailed as step forward". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  15. ^ Couloumbis, Angela; Bumsted, Brad; Knudsen, Paula (28 February 2018). "Rep. Nick Miccarelli accused of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  16. ^ "Pa. lawmaker obtains restraining order against fellow House member she accuses of abusive behavior". pennlive. 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  17. ^ Caruso, Stephen (March 19, 2019). "Former Pa. Rep. Miccarelli lands job at Delaware County nonprofit that receives public dollars". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  18. ^ "What did report on accusations against Rep. Miccarelli conclude? Attorneys offer competing views". pennlive. 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  19. ^ "Facing FBI probe, PSERS backtracks on disclosure that staffers were on both sides of real estate dealings". pennlive. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  20. ^ DiStefano, Joseph N. (30 April 2021). "Pa.'s largest pension fund faces twin probes over financial results and land buys". Inquirer. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  21. ^ Cooperstein, Paige (2016-06-09). "Lesbian inaugural head of Office of Open Records wins award". Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  22. ^ "Ex-Pa. open records office director to become a hall of famer". pennlive. 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  23. ^ "22 Penn State alumni to receive Alumni Fellow Award | Penn State University". www.psu.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  24. ^ McKinney, Dave (2014-08-31). "Memoir reveals love between state Sen. Penny Severns, journalist". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  25. ^ Schoenburg, Bernard. "Mutchler book tells of great love with Penny Severns". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  26. ^ "The 27th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists". Lambda Literary. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
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