Tag Archives: Rudat ethics investigation

City Council votes 4-3 to release Rudat ethics investigation reports

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After months of debate, the City Council finally voted 4-3 to release the investigation reports of former city manager David Rudat.

May 17, 2022: The Sammamish City Council voted 4-3 tonight to release “all reports, facts and findings,” subject to redactions of names of minors and city staff, of the investigation of former City Manager David Rudat.

Voting in favor were Council Members Pam Stuart, who made the motion, Amy Lam, Karen Howe, and Deputy Mayor Kali Clark. Opposing were Mayor Christie Malchow and Members Karen Moran and Kent Treen.

There are two reports: one is 44-pages, and the other is an 88-page report. The City previously refused all Public Records Requests for these reports, citing attorney-client privilege. The council vote overrides this position. Doing so drew objections from Moran, who said the Council should follow the attorney’s advice to keep the reports confidential.

Stuart said releasing the reports provides transparency for open government, which is good government and shines a light on government. “We cannot put this issue squarely behind us and move forward…until this information is put forward,” Stuart said.

Read more: City Council votes 4-3 to release Rudat ethics investigation reports

Taking an oath

Moran said the Council should reject calls from the public to release the reports because doing so could lead to potential litigation. “When you take an oath for the city, you take an oath to protect the city,” she said. It is not in the best interest of the city to release the reports, she added. Stuart said releasing the reports will lift a cloud hanging over the city. Moran rejected this.

“This cloud exists because you talk it up,” she said. “If you don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist. If you put it out there, then I hope they come after people personally,” Moran said.

Lam supported releasing the reports so people will understand why the city “separated” from the former city manager, David Rudat. The city agreed to pay him $300,000 plus benefits to go away. “Any council member who doesn’t support its release doesn’t support transparency,” Lam said. “They are motivated by their own self-interests under the guise of protecting the city.”

“I don’t know if this is going to put this behind us because [citizens] will interpret this as they will. That part isn’t our job. Our part is to be transparent and live with the consequences. I apologize to the public that we have not released the reports sooner,” said Howe.

Malchow said the city previously released the summary of what is in the work product. “I think the details of it are largely private conversations between two citizens. I don’t think it does anything to release it to the citizens, so I will vote against it.”

Moran responded to Lam, “To say that someone doesn’t value transparency is offensive and very childish, frankly. When you sit in this seat, your job is to make tough decisions. We’ve been advised not to do it. It will set a precedent.”

Stephanie Rudat to submit her own documents

Stephanie Rudat, the daughter of David Rudat, told the Council during Public Comment that the investigation was biased and that she was denied the ability to present her own evidence by one of the investigating attorneys. She said she has information, What’s App texts and data that will show Malchow and other council members shared information that was not included in the report. Rudat vowed to submit detailed information to the City Council on May 18.

Who “gets it” and who doesn’t on Rudat releasing ethics investigation reports

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Editorial

Karen Moran doesn’t get why transparency is a good thing.

April 26, 2022: Some on the Sammamish City Council just don’t get it. Mayor Christie Malchow and Member Karen Moran sure don’t.

Members Amy Lam, Kali Clark, and Karen Howe get it, especially Howe. Howe provided an eloquent argument for why the Rudat ethics investigative reports should be made public. She is providing leadership that is, sadly, absent from Mayor Malchow, who now flip-flops her votes. She did so twice in last week’s meeting.

Sammamish Comment has written much about the Rudat probe and why the reports of his misdeeds should be made public. We won’t repeat these long details. Last Tuesday’s city council meeting brings up new issues in the debate over releasing the reports.

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City Council deadlocks again on releasing Rudat ethics investigation report

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April 20, 2022: The Sammamish City Council deadlocked in two more votes this week on the release of the reports of the ethics investigation of former City Manager David Rudat.

Votes were taken Tuesday on two motions; each failed on a 3-3 deadlock.

Council Member Amy Lam moved to release the report with certain redactions. Mayor Christie Malchow offered an amendment to release the report, under attorney-client privilege, only to the council members. Malchow voted against this motion on April 5, which failed in a 3-3 vote. Offering the same motion this week represents a flip-flop by Malchow. The amendment failed on a 3-3 vote, with Malchow, Deputy Mayor Kali Clark and Council Member voting in favor. Lam voted with Members Kent Treen and Karen Moran in opposing this motion. Lam’s flip from the April 5th vote defeated Malchow’s amendment.

Christie Malchow flip-flops twice in voting whether to release the Rudat ethics investigation reports.

On Lam’s main motion, Lam, Howe and Clark voted in favor of releasing a redacted report. Malchow flipped again and once more sided with Treen and Moran against releasing the report, even in a redacted form. Treen and Moran were opposed to the ethics probe all along and continue to oppose any release of the reports to the public. Only an executive summary has been released.

Malchow under pressure

Karen Howe says the city won’t put the controversy behind it until the Rudat reports are released to the public.

Malchow has been under pressure throughout the ethics probe, first as the leading proponent of initiating the probe while deputy mayor and when the vote came to fire or suspend Rudat. The council rejected the former on a 2-5 vote (only former Council Members Tom Odell and Pam Stuart supported firing him); and the on a vote to suspend him, which received a majority of the council votes.

Subsequently as mayor, Malchow provided the swing vote to block release of the reports. During Tuesday’s meeting, Malchow admitted she’s been under pressure and the strain was obvious. She said she was on the fence about releasing the reports, then split her votes in favor and then rejecting release. Malchow wants to “move on” from the controversy, but Howe said this won’t happen until the reports are released. Moran feared a lawsuit by result from release and said her role, among others, is to “protect the city.” Howe rejected this reasoning, saying if a lawsuit resulted, so be it.

Malchow questioned releasing the report detailed why Rudat was let go and all the dirty laundry surrounding the move.

The 15 minute discussion and debate with worth watching for the impassioned discussion and debate. The video is below.

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Rudat story won’t die until ethics report is released and examined

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Editorial

April 11, 2022: Sammamish Mayor Christie Malchow, who is the swing vote on whether to release the ethics investigation report about former City Manager David Rudat, is now firmly in the camp of keeping the report secret.

Malchow, whose first term in office heavily focused on transparency, is the key vote in covering up the details of the ethics probe that cost Sammamish more than $300,000 to Rudat in severance pay, a golden parachute, benefits and legal costs.

Christie Malchow

Why? Malchow says, “What I did not verbalize at the vote was I’m trying to look forward, not backward.  It is critical this Council be forward thinking for the benefit of our residents and the staff that serve them.  We have a new city manager position to fill, staff to provide some stability to, and if we are looking in the rear view mirror constantly, how will we assist ourselves in filling that city manager void and how can we possibly move forward to get city business accomplished for our residents?”

News Flash to the Sammamish City Council and to Mayor Malchow: Until the ethics report is released, this story won’t be relegated to the past.

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Breaking News: Malchow, the swing vote, blocks council from receiving full Rudat probe report

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April 5, 2022: Mayor Christie Malchow, the swing vote, blocked a motion by Council Member Karen Howe for the entire council to receive an unredacted copy of the final reports of the ethics investigation of former city manager David Rudat.

Malchow, who was key to initiating the probe, sided with Council Members Kent Treen and Karen Moran, who opposed approving an investigation. Malchow, who voted to suspend Rudat and later a separation agreement, did not explain her vote.