Santa Rosa city officials are under fire for refusing to release a full investigative report into alleged misconduct by Councilmember Dianna MacDonald.
The Press Democrat reports while the city has released some documents confirming MacDonald violated anti-harassment policies with “offensive” behavior toward staff, they are citing attorney-client privilege to keep the $100,000 taxpayer-funded report private.
First Amendment advocates and The Press Democrat are pushing back, arguing that elected officials don’t have the same privacy rights as rank-and-file employees.
The Council already voted to censure MacDonald in December, but without the full report, the public remains in the dark about the specific details that led to that rare disciplinary action.