Politics & Government

Ethics Board Prepares to Hear Case about City Leaks

The board met in a specially called meeting Thursday to recommend an independent attorney to guide it through a complaint that alleges Councilwoman Adrian Bonser leaked privileged information.

The city's Board of Ethics met Thursday in a specially called meeting to prepare for a complaint that alleges Counilwoman Adrian Bonser .

The City Council-appointed board voted to name its own attorney to guide them through the process. The city has never convened the ethics board to deal with a complaint.

The ethics board, with three of its five members present, voted to approve a recommendation that Richard Carothers serve as the ethics board attorney through the complaint process.

"It's all for your protection, the board's protection and the complainant's protection," said Bill Riley, who serves as the city's assistant attorney through the Riley McLendon law firm.Β 

The recommendation will go Monday to the City Council, which can approve the contract, but not interfere with the ethics board recommendation for its own legal representation, Riley said.

It is not clear how much the independent attorney will cost.

The Mayor and five council members of two city executive session discovered in an independent investigation. , resulted in the resignation of City Attorney Brian Anderson after the council had moved to fire him.

Steve Blaske is the chairman of the ethics board. John Francis, Wade McGuffey, Janet Webb and Wade Wright are members. McGuffey and Wright were not at the Tuesday meeting, but the board had a quorum.

Webb, for her part, said she wanted to discuss how the Wilson investigation came about, the fact that she thinks the investigation has been expensive, and other issues that led to the ethics complaint. She was told by Riley that until the board has its own attorney it could not discuss substantive issues.

The ethics board, according to the city's guidelines, has broad authority in any disciplinary action it might take. It can recommend that the city council censure or reprimand a council member and also remove them.


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