SummersGate "2": Vindictive and Reckless Summers Exposes City to Liability for Lawsuit Caused By Hiring Practices

[Brian Essi]

News of a lawsuit was recently introduced to the Deck. Here are my observations:

1. The Lawsuit Clearly Benefits Summers. There is little doubt that the lawsuit is designed to benefit the plaintiff's media outlet by hurting the Observer. The Plaintiff's media outlet has published and continues to publish news stories favorable to Summers and his agenda and against Summers' opposition, including SLH. Summers and the lawsuit seek to lessen media competition in Lakewood.

2. Summers is Connected to the Lawsuit Financing. There is also little doubt that the lawsuit is being financed by "Friends of Summers" contributor(s), Build Lakewood supporter(s), and at least one person who worked on Summers' political campaign. So far what we is know the Plaintiff fits all three of these categories and Jay Carson, a member of the Plaintiff's law firm fits at least two.

3. Summers' Reckless and Vindictive conduct proximately caused the lawsuit Evidence suggests that Summers hired the Plaintiff as a vindictive strategic move to lash out at Jim O'Bryan and the Observer for breaking the hospital story in an election year involving before the June filing deadline. By hiring the Plaintiff with city funds, Summers also to acquire a captive media outlet which provided him favorable media coverage throughout an election year. To make matters worse, to get these benefits, Summers gave the Plaintiff a job paid for with city funds to perform services he apparently did not have any prior qualifications for and his criminal background was ignored.

A fair reading of the complaint reveals that if Summers had not been reckless and vindictive in his hiring practices, the lawsuit would never have been filed. It seems to me that exposes the city to liability for the damages to those who are harmed.

Why did Summers hire this guy?

He is some of the Plaintiff's internet access from city computers which Summers knew about and let go on:

[Michael Deneen]

Why did Summers hire this guy?

He is some of the Plaintiff's internet access from city computers which Summers knew about and let go on:

Bingo!
Wow, that's an interesting internet history....

[Bridget Conant]

Wait!

Are you saying these are sites accessed on a CITY computer!

During city time?

[Brian Essi]

Wait!

Are you saying these are sites accessed on a CITY computer!

During city time?

The attached document is one public record that I obtained in response to one of hundreds of public records requests.

According to Kevin Butler the document purports to be the internet use on city computers by a person that Summers hired --that person spent time on city computers accessing his media site "Lakewood Citizen"--which site posted stories that were favorable concerning Summers and Summers' and negative about me.

Note that the document is, on its face, an incomplete record.

[m buckley]

Mr. Essi.
Wow.

[Brian Essi]

Mr. Essi.
Wow.

Clearly the log of Internet use on city computers to support a media outlet that supported the Simmers campaign existed well before the election.

Certainly the city has an Internet use policy that was not enforced against someone who was helping the Summers campaign.

If it occurred on city time, then it would undermine the allegation in the SLAPP lawsuit that claims the opposite.

There can be little doubt the Summers knew about this and apparently approved of it.

[Michael Deneen]

Wait!

Are you saying these are sites accessed on a CITY computer!

During city time?

Isn't campaigning on company time "Standard Operating Procedure" at City Hall?
Jen Pae has been doing it for a year.

[cmager]

Don't forget about Butler.

[Lori Allen _]

Brian,

Our tax dollars at work. I believe any employee involved in this kind of activity should have to give back the portion of their salaries for time spent on the computer for non-city related business. I would like to say I am shocked, but, the way Summers runs city hall, I am not.

[Brian Essi]

Lori,

I am just reporting the facts and the unvarnished truth so the public can come to their own conclusions.

[cmager]

Why did Summers and Butler hire this guy?

[Bridget Conant]

I've asked on the other thread. Why?

Was he extraordinarily qualified for the position?

Were there no other candidates?

Were they aware of the criminal background?

Did they perform a background check? If not, why not?

If one was performed, why were the results ignored?

Did the applicant disclose the conviction and or arrest records? If not, is that not reason for disqualification?

What conclusion would a reasonable person come to given these facts?

[m buckley]

I've asked on the other thread. Why?

Was he extraordinarily qualified for the position?

Were there no other candidates?

Were they aware of the criminal background?

Did they perform a background check? If not, why not?

If one was performed, why were the results ignored?

Did the applicant disclose the conviction and or arrest records? If not, is that not reason for disqualification?

What conclusion would a reasonable person come to given these facts?

Perhaps Scott Gilman can weigh in on this?

[scott gilman]

I am not familiar with the hiring practices of other divisions in the city.

[Bridget Conant]

The Lakewood Citizen owner posted an article on October 28, 2015, just before the election, that was meant to mock Michael Skindell, Summers' opponent. It was clearly a political ploy meant to bolster Summers.

Now we have the records that prove the owner of the Lakewood Citizen, who was at that time employed by the city, was using a CITY OWNED COMPUTER, during his CITY PAID WORK TIME, to access his personal media web site to post the disparaging article.

Here are the work computer records:

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/d ... hp?id=3497

No more speculating. He was conducting political campaigning and publicity work for the mayor WHILE ON THE PUBLIC DIME.

Isn't this illegal? It's certainly unethical.