Yesterday, The Martin Chronicles quoted a local official saying, “Let’s finish this thing.” We wholeheartedly agree. We should move past the end of the beginning and closer to the beginning of the end. Special Counsel Phil Taliaferro was retained in late summer last year to investigate the suspicious activities of Mayor Mike Martin. After a marathon executive session into which Taliaferro and an assistant carried a 5 inch thick binder of information, council voted to expand special counsel’s investigation at the December council meeting.
The time has come for the facts to begin to be reported. That would be a great start. By now the 5 inch thick binder has surely grown much thicker. Given the recent document burn and subsequent ham-handed attempt to cover it up by the mayor, it is clear to anyone paying any attention that the taxpayers continue to sink deeper into Martin’s quicksand of liability with each passing day.
There is a court proceeding this morning that will deal with several pleadings in the serious lawsuit Villa Hills now finds itself embroiled. One pleading involves the spoliation of evidence. Spoliation of evidence is defined as “the intentional or negligent withholding, hiding, alteration or destruction of evidence relevant to a legal proceeding”. In part, this involves the January 5 burning of City records and the suspicious documentation “justifying” the destruction strong evidence says was ginned up after-the-fact.
Keep in mind that this incredible turn of events took place after council voted to expand the scope of the special counsel investigation in December. Who knows what else will happen if the special counsel investigation drags on for several more months? Given the past thirteen months, it is reasonable to assume that Martin will continue to behave in a way that further weakens the City’s position. What’s the old saying? Enough is enough.
The Martin Chronicles isn’t suggesting an end to the investigation. We aren’t suggesting an immediate vote for removal. We do believe it is time for the findings to begin to be publicly reported.
It’s time to begin a public exploration of Martin’s questionable business “lapses”. These “lapses” are extremely relevant to his fitness to lead the city. It’s time to hear the truth about the cause for the persistent failure to fulfill Open Records requests. It appears a conscious decision was made to stonewall. It’s time to hear the facts regarding the blatant cronyism. Too much taxpayer money has been doled out to friends.
Shouldn’t the public be offered the opportunity to hear why committee heads and employees have been hindered in doing their appointed tasks? That activity builds a strong case for misconduct. Isn’t it time for a public airing about why computers were removed after-hours, including those from employee work stations, from the City Building? Shouldn’t the public know what the mayor may have been trying to either cover or trump up? Since the taxpayers share in the liability for the mayor’s refusal to take concerns about sexual harassment seriously, don’t they have a right to know exactly what happened? If nothing else, the capability to effectively manage the City, or any enterprise for that matter, are called squarely into question.
If even a preliminary report is not presented soon, public confidence could begin to erode when they hear bilious blowhards like County Judge Executive Steve Arlinghaus or friends who spend their evenings enjoying several rounds of Keystone Light at the Civic Club offer up mindless opinions on the work of special counsel. The Martin Chronicles says shame on any councilman who is reluctant to proceed because they fear getting the cold shoulder in the Civic Club Golf League or at eleven o’clock Mass at St. Joe’s. Their reward for such timidity should be a resounding defeat in the upcoming November election.
We have a couple of questions for all those who complain about money being spent on the Special Counsel’s investigation. How would you feel if the City is hammered in court because of the reckless behavior of the mayor with a council who stood by and did nothing to protect the taxpayer’s interests after discovering what had taken place? Would you rather spend thousands of dollars now to save millions of dollars later?
We’ve heard Martin’s rapidly-refuted explanations for his suspicious behavior. We’ve witnessed his shuck and jive as he shuts down discussions and lays blame on others. None of it holds water. None of it flies. Again, enough is enough. It’s high time for the facts to begin to see the light of day.
