Gov. Mark Gordon was caught red-handed, and red-faced, withholding information at a Sunshine Week transparency luncheon March 15. He’d failed to disclose his birthday. (Matthew Copeland/WyoFile)

Gov. Mark Gordon suffered an uncomfortable moment Friday, March 15, when, in the midst of a transparency roundtable luncheon, his staff revealed that he’d failed to be fully transparent.

The luncheon — held during Sunshine Week at the Wyoming Governor’s Mansion and attended by State Auditor Kristi Racines, senior staffers and members of the Wyoming press corps — was billed as a listening session and an opportunity to exchange ideas about improving government transparency and access to public information.

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But perhaps the most revelatory disclosure of the event came from the kitchen staff who delivered the governor’s dessert — pound cake, fresh berries and whipped cream — with a single lit candle.

Caught off guard by the anonymous whistleblower, the new chief executive sat red-faced and silent for a moment before cracking under the expectant stares of the transparency mavens.

“All right, all right, I give!” Gordon said. “I’m 62.”

Matthew Copeland is the chief executive & editor of WyoFile. Contact him at matthew@wyofile.com or (307) 287-2839. Follow Matt on Twitter at @WyoCope

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