Bexar County Choose Peter Sakai fired his chief spokesman in December over a collection of flirtatious texts the staffer despatched the writer of an East Facet newspaper that she mentioned left her “creeped out,” the Specific-Information reviews, citing paperwork and interviews.
Sakai took the motion towards Jim Lefko, his communications director, after an investigation by Bexar County’s ombudsman, an impartial official who seems into complaints about county staff, the each day reviews. Lefko, 67, a former Specific-Information sports activities editor, reportedly consented to an interview with the ombudsman however refused to show over his textual content messages.
“The decide has not and won’t ever put up with that habits, and it was fairly apparent as soon as we began asking questions that the one resolution was termination,” Sakai’s chief of employees, Matthew Polanco, instructed the Specific-Information. “The decide won’t permit that habits from anybody within the county, particularly not his employees.”
Lefko despatched the texts in query to Stephanie Zarriello, writer of the San Antonio Observer, an East Facet group paper, whereas he was tasked with constructing help for the county plan to make use of public cash to revitalize Freeman Coliseum, in response to the each day.
Throughout textual content exchanges final fall, Lefko praised Zarriello’s look and requested her to ship him a photograph of herself “all dolled up,” the Specific-Information reviews, citing statements within the county report and texts provided by Zarriello. At one level the previous Sakai spokesman urged Zarriello to satisfy him for drinks as a result of he was a “bachelor for the weekend,” in response to the report.
In a press release to the each day, Lefko mentioned his texts had been “misconstrued” and maintained that stayed in communication with Zarriello to construct help from her publication for the county challenge.
“I used to be underneath no obligation to share my texts (with the ombudsman), and didn’t imagine I had accomplished something fallacious though in hindsight I might have used higher judgment,” he mentioned within the assertion.
County ombudsman Allison Highley’s four-page report back to Sakai was primarily based on a Dec. 1 interview with Lefko and a evaluation of emails between Lefko, Zarriello and her husband, Observer CEO Waseem Ali, in response to the Specific-Information. The investigator reportedly didn’t evaluation texts between Lefko and Zarriello.
“Mr. Lefko said that, trying again, he regretted lots of his actions and would have accomplished issues in a different way,” Highley mentioned on the finish of the report obtained by the each day.
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At one level, the controversy elicited giggles from the viewers, though it’s unclear which candidate they have been laughing at — maybe each.
The county plans to rent at the least 12 extra temp staffers to course of the backlog throughout the subsequent couple of weeks, officers say.
The controversy will happen at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at Secure Corridor.
