Bankruptcy judges waive fee to cover Kagan talk

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has persuaded the national organization of bankruptcy judges to drop an unusual $100 fee it was planning to charge reporters to cover her talk in mid-October. Kagan interceded with the group on Wednesday following an inquiry from The Associated Press, high court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. The group notified the AP later in the day of the change in its plans. Groups sometimes close their events to the press or allow reporters in with restrictions on the use of cameras and audio recorders. But it's very unusual to charge the news media merely to attend. Kagan is scheduled to speak Oct. 15, at the end of the bankruptcy judges' four-day conference in Tampa, Fla. Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and singer Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons also are on the program. Christine Molick, executive director of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, said the $100 fee is far less than what other attendees must pay. Registration fees for some participants top $900, according to the organization's website. ---------------- Online: National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: www.ncbj.org Published: Fri, Oct 7, 2011