The federal government opposes releasing e-mail correspondence between Gov. Linda Lingle's former chief of staff and a man who blackmailed him.

The e-mails are part of evidence in a case involving former Lingle aide Bob Awana, who was extorted by a man who learned that Awana attempted to solicit his girlfriend to perform favors for Awana and other businessmen on a trade mission to the Philippines.

Awana resigned June 29.

U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright issued an order Tuesday asking attorneys for the government and the man who pleaded guilty to extorting Awana, Rajdatta Patkar, to argue why the correspondence and other discovery evidence should remain under seal.

"In all cases involving victims, irrespective of whether they are high-profile members of the community, the United States is obligated by law to treat victims with 'fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy,' " wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors, in her response to Seabright's order.

Deputy federal public defender Pamela J. Byrne, who represented Patkar, filed a response Wednesday saying Patkar has "no objections."

Seabright issued his order after The Associated Press wrote a letter Nov. 1 asking that evidence in the case be made public.

"We believe that because this case involved one of the state's highest-ranking government officials, and activities he engaged in while conducting state business, we feel the public has a legitimate interest in and right to know details of this extortion case," Mark J. Rochester, assistant chief of bureau for AP's Hawai'i, Northern California and Northern Nevada operations, wrote in a letter to Seabright.

Patkar was sentenced on Oct. 29 to one year in prison and ordered to pay $7,348 in restitution to the federal government after he pleaded guilty to trying to extort $35,000 from Awana.

Patkar admitted that he hacked into another person's e-mail and discovered Awana was wooing an Internet girlfriend with promises of money and admission to a Hawai'i nursing school.

In exchange, the woman would join Awana and members of a state trade mission to the Philippines in January 2006.

Patkar admitted to blackmailing Awana by threatening to make public Awana's extramarital affair and solicitation of women for entertainment at parties during the trade mission.

The sealed evidence in question includes e-mails between Awana, Patkar and a Filipina whom Awana was attempting to solicit.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.