Mette Frederiksen’s advisor under scrutiny in the ombudsman’s investigation. A controversial text message sent by one of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s advisors to a former Social Democratic employee’s workplace is now the subject of the ombudsman’s interest. According to Jyllands-Posten, the ombudsman has requested a copy of all relevant documents from the Prime Minister’s Office and a statement on the matter.
The text message was sent to an employee at the communications agency Rud Pedersen and concerned a critical article about the Social Democrats, in which a partner from the agency, Sune Steffen Hansen, had spoken. Hansen, who had previously worked as an advisor in the Social Democrats, has since been sent home from Rud Pedersen, although it is not clear if there is a direct link between the article, the text message, and the sending home.
The case has attracted attention, as media outlets like Ekstra Bladet, B.T., and Jyllands-Posten have described the events in detail. Several legal experts have also commented on the matter. Media law expert Oluf Jørgensen points out that if the text message was sent on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office, the content should be disclosed. Law professor Sten Schaumbürg-Muller also believes that the withholding of the text message could be problematic.
The current disclosure of information that the media has obtained showed that one of Mette Frederiksen’s three special advisors had sent a text message to Rud Pedersen regarding the article, but the Prime Minister’s Office has refused to disclose the content. According to the Ministry, the message has a vague nature and falls outside the rules on transparency.
Frederik Waage, a law professor, has pointed out the importance of clarifying the boundaries between private and political communication, and therefore what can be exempted from disclosure. The Prime Minister’s Office has not wanted to disclose the name of the advisor who allegedly sent the text message, nor has it wanted to comment further on the matter.
In a comment on the disclosure of information, the Prime Minister’s Office states that the message is not subject to administrative processing in the ministry and therefore is not covered by the Public Access to Information Act. The ombudsman’s forthcoming assessment may clarify whether the text message should be disclosed or not.