Updated at 12:54 p.m.

The two counties that were sued by Republicans last week for not responding fast enough to document requests have reached tentative agreements with GOP attorneys.

Officials in Pine and St. Louis counties said this morning they spoke with the GOP and plan to release most of the requested documents by Friday. Some documents will likely still need to be copied, while others can't be released until voter information is updated.

As we reported last week, the Republican Party and Emmer campaign have been spraying out Data Practices Act requests to counties across the state seeking information relating to the recount.

Pine County auditor Cathy Clemmer said they had not seen the DPA request until a local newspaper forwarded them the lawsuit, which included e-mail requests and follow-up letters sent to the county. She said they also first learned of the lawsuit after receiving it from the newspaper.

"The first we heard of anything was on Friday," Clemmer said. Emmer spokesman Carl Kuhl said the e-mail requests sent to Clemmer did not bounce back.

Following a conversation with Republican attorneys, Pine County plans to send out the documents by Friday.

"I dont think they handled it as well as they could have," Clemmer said. "It would have been much simpler to pick up the phone and say, 'Gee whiz, we haven't heard from you. Did you get our e-mail?' Instead of going directly to a lawsuit."

St. Louis County, which is about eight times larger than Pine, still has a lot to copy but will send out "many" of the documents by Friday, assistant county attorney Barbara Russ said.

"I believe [attorney Eric Magnuson] said they would advise the court that there will not be any need for a hearing at this time," Russ said.

Kuhl confirmed the Friday date and said they will issue a release later this morning with a letter from Magnuson. We will post that here when we get it. Below is Emmer attorney and former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Eric Magnuson's letter sent to St. Louis County.

GOP letter to St. Louis County