K.J.’s email scheme
How the mayor's ‘bulletproof' system to avoid public scrutiny might backfire
“Gmail was our bulletproof method of communication, beyond the reach of the city and the public.”
That’s how R.E. Graswich, a former senior adviser to Mayor Kevin Johnson, described the parallel email system set up inside the mayor’s office to avoid California’s public-records law. “Our private little system,” he called it. (See page 14 for Nick Miller’s story on Graswich.)
We knew Johnson’s staff routinely does city business using special “OMKJ” Gmail accounts—for “Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson”—which are issued upon hire. In fact, Graswich estimated 80 percent of the work done by the mayor and staff was done using OMKJ emails, rather than official city of Sacramento accounts.
More troubling still, Graswich said the email accounts were used for a mix of city business and noncity business, involving the mayor’s various nonprofits and outside initiatives. They were also used to do political campaign work “on city computers and in City Hall,” he said.
If you’re thinking, “Gee, that sounds pretty illegal,” you may be on to something.
The mayor’s spokesperson Ben Sosenko has lied on multiple occasions, telling local media that the OMKJ emails are only “used for noncity business.”
We know that’s not true, however, because SN&R has in its possession plenty of emails from city employees doing city business with OMKJ email accounts—Sosenko in particular.
Sosenko has also said several times that all the noncity business being done on city time with city employees was “for the benefit of the city.”
Team K.J. wants it both ways: When they want the public to foot the bill for the mayor’s outside projects—including the ugly takeover of the National Conference of Black Mayors—it’s all for the benefit of the city. But when the public wants a little scrutiny of those activities, suddenly it’s all private, noncity business.
Recently on Capitol Public Radio’s program Insight, Sosenko said the public can’t see the OMKJ emails Sacramento News & Review - K.J.’s email scheme - Bites - Opinions - July 16, 2015:
