Councilor Pfisterer's Text Gave Kudos To Colleagues For Blocking ROC Subpoenas

A text message Councilor Marilyn Pfisterer mistakenly sent to another council member and then forwarded to Democratic blogger Jon Easter following last Thursday's meeting of the ROC Investigating Committee showed her exuberance over Republican members' success in blocking for the second consecutive committee meeting the issuance of subpoenas to city legal and the Regional Operations Center's landlord, Alex Carroll, to gain access to public records regarding the ill-fated lease.

For months now, city legal and Carroll's attorney have refused to turn over key documents concerning the 25-year, $20 million one-sided lease that the city entered into with Carroll's business entity. Public Safety Director Troy Riggs ordered city employees to evacuate the building last year after it was deemed unsafe to occupy despite the fact that the city continues to make lease payments of $57,000 a month. Here's what Pfisterer said in her text message:

 "Subpoena motion died in committee.  Will and Jack were 'on it'!  Next meeting on 3/10."  

According to Easter, Pfisterer had intended to send the text message to Councilor Aaron Freeman, who was absent from the meeting, but instead sent it to another councilor mistakenly. "Will and Jack" refers to Councilors Will Gooden and Jack Sandlin, who both spoke out in opposition to the issuance of the subpoenas. They both seemed more interested in launching an investigation of the council's counsel, Fred Biesecker, whose professional integrity Republican members of the committee have shamelessly smeared for partisan advantage.

After you watch Republican council members continue to stonewall the ROC investigation, you quickly discern why it was necessary that they kick Councilor Christine Scales, one of the most thoughtful and hard-working members of the council, out of the caucus. They knew she wouldn't go along with a cover up of criminal activity taking place within the Ballard administration. In fact, members of the Ballard administration unsuccessfully attempted to bribe Scales to go along with an effort to oust City-County Council President Maggie Lewis by offering to return a ladder company to a fire station in her district that was removed originally as a form of retaliation against her. Scales was appalled when Public Safety Director Troy Riggs became a part of the partisan debate by offering to return the ladder company to her district if she would go along with Republican council members in an effort to conspire with at least one disgruntled member of the Democratic caucus to oust Lewis. Scales turned down Riggs' offer, which infuriated Republican council members and Mayor Ballard.