COUNCIL PRESIDENT QUESTIONS MAYOR'S ATTORNEY
Council President Lonnie Mixon asked the Mayor's personal attorney, David Whetstone, about the propriety of using the city's IRS tax identification number for private purposes.
Last Spring it was reported that in 2007 a private police charity (Friends of Police) had begun using the city's number instead of its own: for reasons yet unknown. Current Police Chief Press (hired in 2009) ended that practice, but provoked other ethics-law-related questions by his own actions in the process.
After Mixon asked if using the city's tax ID in such manner was a violation of ethics and/or other state law, Whetstone declined to comment saying he "had not looked into that matter."
Previously, Mayor Kant had told the Times he had no personal knowledge of who changed the number or why -- but speculated such authority could have been delegated to any police officers with the department at the time.
Council President Lonnie Mixon asked the Mayor's personal attorney, David Whetstone, about the propriety of using the city's IRS tax identification number for private purposes.
Last Spring it was reported that in 2007 a private police charity (Friends of Police) had begun using the city's number instead of its own: for reasons yet unknown. Current Police Chief Press (hired in 2009) ended that practice, but provoked other ethics-law-related questions by his own actions in the process.
After Mixon asked if using the city's tax ID in such manner was a violation of ethics and/or other state law, Whetstone declined to comment saying he "had not looked into that matter."
Previously, Mayor Kant had told the Times he had no personal knowledge of who changed the number or why -- but speculated such authority could have been delegated to any police officers with the department at the time.
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