Yuma, AZ--A huge billboard outside of Yuma city hall criticizes the investigation being done on Mayor Al Krieger, who is accused of conflict of interest and abusing his authority.
"It's obviously an attempt to exclude the public from the process and they also trying to throw conflict of interest charges everywhere so the mayor will shut up," Timothy La Sota, Krieger's personal attorney said. "Well he's not going to shut up. We're going to keep calling this for what it is. It's garbage and a political witch hunt."
The issue was first brought up when former Mayor Marilyn Young stood up during a January meeting and accused Krieger of conflict of interest, violating city charter and open meetings law and also abusing his power.
Among the findings, the report found the mayor's actions in casting the deciding vote against the initiation of the investigation on January 18th was a violation of conflict of interest.
They said even when the conflict of interest was pointed out to the mayor, he refused to stop discussing the agenda items.
The attorney from Gust Rosenfeld said there is evidence the mayor did that or attempted to do that to council members.
The report also states that during the investigation, the mayor threatened and coerced members of the council outside of public meetings to support him and to vote against the investigation.
In the report, Krieger admitted he had the conversations individually with council members, stating they would go down with him but they were not meant as threats; simply as conversational statements.
In a 5 to 1 vote, the council accepted and approved the findings of the investigation and will report it to appropriate authorities for consideration of enforcement action.
"I think its very unfortunate that the council voted to accept a very poorly put together, very poorly investigated just a shotty piece of work frame by the council," La Sota said. "A $25,000, $300 an hour taxpayer expense lawyer, just to do a political hit on the mayor."
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