Cooper Calls For Ethics Investigation of Un-named Elk Grove City Council Member

During the Wednesday, April 28, 2010 meeting of the Elk Grove City Council meeting, Council Member Jim Cooper called for a code of ethics violation investigation on an unspecified council member.

The resulting discussion was heated. Cooper insisted that the unspecified matter rose to the level warranting an investigation.

Cooper’s request to place the matter on a future agenda for discussion was supported by council members and Gary Davis and Steve Detrick. Mayor Sophia Scherman and Council Member Pat Hume adamantly opposed further discussion of the matter.

A few things to watch for:

- Detrick’s support for the investigation seemed to be based on a previous ethic violation leveled against him several months ago. Scherman authorized the hiring of an external attorney for an investigation that found no wrong-doing on Detrick’s part.
- Scherman seemingly tried to place the responsibility of authorizing the investigation of Detrick on City Attorney Susan Cochran.
- While Davis said he would support a discussion of the matter, he felt that they might “look like kindergarten cops.”
- Citing his 25 year of law enforcement experience, Cooper said he had seen lots of things and this complaint was serious enough to warrant an investigation.
- Hume called the proposed investigation a "witch hunt."


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