Rep. Jonathan Paton

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A state Foster Care Review Board employee e-mailed state Rep. Jonathan Paton a list of his traffic offenses Sunday after she read his newspaper commentary calling for more open disclosure of the actions of Child Protective Services workers.

Cheri Holgerson said she sent Paton the e-mail about his traffic violations because "If you are going to be critical about the subject, that you better not live in a glass house," she said.

"I saw his, and I've also looked up yours," she told a reporter during a brief interview.

Paton's commentary, which appeared in the Sunday's Arizona Daily Star, said CPS confidentiality regulations should not be used to protect workers who behave inappropriately.

Holgerson sent the e-mail from her personal account and never mentioned her job with the Foster Care Review Board, an independent state body that examines CPS cases when children are placed in foster care.

The board is made up of volunteers, but it has a paid support staff.

Paton, a Tucson Republican, is on a legislative committee looking into CPS. He has been calling for more openness for months.

He said he found the e-mail exchange to be a bit strange. When he realized Holgerson was on the support staff for Tucson's Foster Care Review Board, he said he felt "queasy."

"If it were from anyone else it would be one thing," Paton said. "But the fact that she directly connected it to a story about CPS on Sunday and the fact that she works for an agency that deals with CPS, that's what I thought was kind of odd about it."

In her first e-mail, Holgerson writes in the subject line "Are You The One Listed In The Following Court Information?"

It then lists four minor traffic violations such as driving less than 65 mph in a 55 mph zone. Another citation, failing to yield for a stop sign in 2000, was waived because Paton took a defensive driving course.

Paton wrote back to Holgerson asking why she was "trying to find this out."

She replied, "It's public information, I saw your article in Sunday's paper and was wondering if the records are your infractions. Is there a reason you are hesitant to give a yes or no answer?"

Christopher Corman, regional manager for the Foster Care review Board in Tucson, said Holgerson was "absolutely not" directed to contact Paton. Support staff are, however, allowed to contact elected officials during their private time, he said.

Asked if he thought the e-mail was appropriate considering the connection between the board and CPS, Corman said he couldn't answer that question because it was a private e-mail sent from a personal address.

Holgerson defended her e-mails.

"My position has nothing to do with this situation," she said. "I think your questions are inappropriate. I think it's inappropriate that you called my employer, and I'm just wondering why this is causing an alarming reaction."