CANTON, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts judge will hold another hearing before deciding whether to unseal testimony that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave in the divorce case of Staples founder Tom Stemberg.
Ex-wife Maureen Sullivan Stemberg appeared in court Wednesday with lawyer Gloria Allred. They said they did not object to a Boston Globe motion to lift an impoundment order on Romney's 1991 testimony in the case.
Attorneys said Romney's testimony dealt with financial matters.
Romney lawyer Robert Jones said he does not anticipate objecting but would like time to review the entire transcript. He asked a judge not to delay the hearing beyond one day.
"This is a decades-old divorce case in which Mitt Romney provided testimony as to the value of a company," Jones said. "He has no objection to letting the public see that testimony."
Staples was founded with backing from Romney's firm, Bain Capital. Tom Stemberg has been a surrogate for Romney and spoke on the former Massachusetts governor's behalf at the GOP convention.
In the Globe's motion to unseal Romney's testimony and to modify a court order prohibiting both sides from discussing testimony in the case, the newspaper argues that Stemberg has been a prominent spokesman for Romney's qualifications for the presidency and has cited Romney's role in the success of Staples.
Attorneys for Romney and Staples asked the judge for more time to review two booklets of testimony Allred produced.
Stemberg's lawyer, Brian Leary, said there was nothing salacious in the testimony he had seen, but acknowledged he only had 20 pages. He described the divorce as incredibly contentious.
The hearing was set to resume Thursday.
