Lincoln City Council Launches Secret Investigation of Mayor Don Williams
Lincoln City Mayor Don Williams speaks during a public meeting in Newport earlier this year. He is the subject of an investigation by an outside firm authorized by the city council this week. The council has not made the nature of the investigation public or told Williams what he is suspected of doing. (Photo by Larry Coonrod)
By Larry Coonrod
LINCOLN CITY—Five city councilors voted unanimously and without public discussion to use an outside agency to investigate Mayor Don Williams for alleged undisclosed wrongdoing this week.
How secret is the investigation? So secret that the mayor says he doesn’t even know what it is about. So secret that City Attorney Richard Appicello is willing to flout public record laws and not reveal who the city hired for the investigation. So secret that Appicello refuses to disclose how much money the council authorized for the investigation or even if there is a limit.
“They totally blindsided me with this one,” Williams said.
The council took action Monday night after an executive session discussion closed to the public where Williams was advised to recuse himself.
Later, during the public portion of Monday's council meeting, Appicello advised Williams to recuse himself before the council voted to hire an outside firm to conduct the investigation.
Investigation Second Action Against Williams by Council
Whatever the motivation behind the investigation, the council appeared eager to get on with it. Councilor Wes Ryan made an immediate motion to authorize the investigation followed by a second from Council President Roger Sprague; all before Williams had the chance to recuse himself and turn the meeting over to Sprague.
The council and Williams have been at odds of late. The council, led by Sprague last month filed an undisclosed complaint against Williams with the Oregon Ethics Commission after another closed-door meeting. Williams said neither Appicello nor the councilors asked him about the latest wrongdoing he is suspected of. He maintains he did nothing intentionally wrong and thinks the council is going down a “rabbit trail.”
The mayor says any action he may have taken doesn’t rise to the level of wrongdoing.
“I’m new to the game,” Williams said. “I don’t believe I did anything wrong. I may have done something incorrect, but I did nothing wrong and I didn’t do anything to benefit myself.”
City Paying Outside Law Firm to for Investigation
Sprague, the council president, confirmed that Williams had not been told the reason for the investigation.
“What’s discussed in the executive session is confidential, and he wasn’t in the executive session so we can’t tell him,” Sprague said.
Sprague declined to say whether the matter under investigation is a civil or criminal matter. He was slightly more forthcoming about other details. The third party hired is a law firm from outside the area that has done work for the city previously. Sprague said he couldn’t remember the name of the firm and was unsure what the investigation might cost.
What is clear, is that the city’s insurance company will spend up to $2,500 to defend the mayor against an investigation being paid for by the city.
For his part, Williams dismisses the ethics charge and most recent investigation as a distraction, saying constituents haven’t been calling him with questions about executive sessions.
“They call me and say, ‘Don, what are you guys doing to get businesses to succeed here? What are doing to get businesses to start up? What are doing about kids dropping out of school?’” he said.“Well sorry, too busy defending myself against an ethics complaint or not doing something in the proper order.”
Contact Reporter Larry Coonrod by emailing editor@lincolncountydispatch.com
