The Associated Press reports that an Alaskan judge has ruled that the personnel records of Republican candidate Joe Miller must be released, because apparently the interest of public knowledge outweighs the interest of individual privacy.

Several news organizations sued for the information. The Daily News-Miner reported Saturday that retired Superior Court Judge Winston Burbank says the public’s right to know outweighs Miller’s right to privacy.

Miller recently acknowledged he was disciplined for violating the ethics policy while working for the Fairbanks North Star Borough, but said it was unrelated to his departure from the borough.

Burbank ordered that the documents be released by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, which allows time for an appeal. Media attorney Chris Zimmerman says he expects Miller’s attorneys to appeal the decision to the Alaska Supreme Court.

Judge Winston Burbank has a serious conflict of interest in this case. Namely, he was appointed by Governor Frank Murkowksi. As in the father of Lisa Murkowski, Miller’s chief opponent. From the Associated Press in 2003:

JUNEAU (AP)  Gov. Frank Murkowski has appointed two Fairbanks men to Interior judgeships…

Winston Burbank, 54, was picked for a District Court judgeship.

Burbank has been semiretired for the past five years. Before that, he was a partner in the Fairbanks law firm of Call, Barrett and Burbank, where the bulk of his practice was personal injury law for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Burbank also served as a temporary District Court judge while Judge Jane Kauvar was on sabbatical leave.

So we have a judge appointed by Lisa Murkowksi’s father ruling that Lisa Murkowski’s main opponent has to release potentially damaging information. There’s something seriously wrong there.