Blog note: this article references a grand jury report.
Alameda councilmember Jim Oddie won’t press his request for legal fees.
When Alameda's former city manager alleged two years ago that Councilmember Jim Oddie threatened her employment if she did not select a candidate for fire chief preferred by the city's firefighters union, the charge not only kickstarted a scandal that still resonates today, but led to exorbitant legal bills for the accused.
Oddie and Councilmember Malia Vella, another Alameda official accused of political interference by former City Manager Jill Keimach, racked up roughly $90,000 each in legal costs in their defense. Both had submitted claims for the city to reimburse them since the allegations were made against them in their official capacity as an elected official.
But last week, Oddie said he will no longer pursue his claim, citing a need for the city to move on from the scandal that has periodically reignited over the past two years — most recently through an independent investigative report and a scathing civil grand jury report released in June. The Alameda District Attorney's office also issued its own findings in October 2018.
"Today I notified Alameda City Manager Eric Levitt that I am withdrawing my request that the city reimburse legal fees I had incurred responding to allegations made by the former city manager," Oddie wrote. "I do so in the spirit of allowing me and the City to fully focus on the teamwork necessary to addressing the tough issues of school safety/security, housing affordability, homelessness and vital services for all Island families."
Vella, however, said this week that she will continue to pursue her claim, which seeks remimbursement of her legal costs and also alleges defamation.
The independent investigative report released by the city in May 2018 is viewed as the most complete account of the scandal. It found that Oddie violated a provision in the City Charter that prohibits interference by elected officials into the city manager's duties. Vella was not judged to have violated the charter. However, an Alameda County civil grand jury report found that she did, without citing any new information.
August 21, 2019
East Bay Express
By Steven Tavares
No comments:
Post a Comment