The Martin Chronicles has been spending a great deal of time pouring over the 67 Special Counsel interrogatories hand-delivered to Villa Hills' Mayor Mike Martin on February 7. As we wrote yesterday, these questions provide a clear indication of the serious problems Martin has created for himself and the taxpayers. He has no one else to blame for this mess. But we know he will certainly try.
Question 43 is interesting. "Please confirm whether on or about October 13, 2011 you told Sue Bree not to give Jason Crawford, Chairperson of the Code Enforcement Board, Code Enforcement Board citations found on or about October 13, 2011 by Sue Ann Bree and/or Kim Robbins"
The tense City Council meeting exchanges between the mayor and Mr. Crawford are quickly becoming the stuff of legend. It is clear Martin has made the conscious decision to put roadblock after roadblock in front of Crawford's Code Enforcement Board. Why? Because Martin is the CEO. His "broad powers" will not be challenged in any way.
Why is that important? An intentional withholding of requested records falls into the same "family" of crimes as the now-famous "Martin records barbecue". KRS 519.060 states that "impairing the availability of records" falls under the definition of the crime of "Tampering with public records". How serious is that? It is a Class D Felony.
Perhaps it would have been easier for the CEO to simply provide Mr. Crawford with the information he requested.
