Kirkland city leader admits personal emailing on city account
From Sunshine Review
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September 8, 2009 Kirkland, Washington City Council member Bob Sternoff is under investigation after being accused of sending racy messages from his city e-mail account and admitting to the accusations.[1]
[edit] Apology
After some of his e-mails were made public Sternoff apologized at a city council meeting.
"The use of my city e-mail as it was used in this case was inappropriate. I apologize for that and the embarrassment that my actions have caused myself and the ones I love," he said.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation uncovered thousands of pages of Sternoff's e-mail, paid for by the city.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation's Scott St. Clair made a Freedom of Information Act request for city council e-mails, which are public record.
Later, St. Clair said Sternoff called him to say some of his e-mails might be embarrassing.
"I had no clue what I would find until it actually showed up," said St. Clair. "The conversation goes on to talk about the Kirkland citizen, her work and her sexual preference."
These e-mails were sent while the city council was in session and, according to the time stamps, at times when city council meetings and study sessions were being held.
"The time spent creating them was time not spent conducting the public's business or paying attention," St. Clair said. "My interest isn't in him, per se. It's in watch-dogging for the public to find out what's happening on their time with their public resources."
After a 4-to-3 vote, the Kirkland City Council voted to hire a counsel to investigate the e-mails.[1]
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