"He's not responding to "īut it's an explanation that's hard to square with the actual audio recording of the event. "This question regarding 'Dugaw' comes in as an interlude or an interruption of the response ," King argued. He argued Condon simply ignored Erickson's question, because he didn't know who he was talking about, and kept elaborating on Ryals' question.Īs his defense went on, King spoke with this theory as an objective fact. King went on to argue that Condon's second answer is a response to the reporter's first question. "And it's difficult to tell whether the mayor was done with his answer or whether the question interrupted it as a response." "A reporter interjected with a question," King said. Initially, King floated it as a mere possibility. Here's where the interruption defense came in.
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Joe Walker, had been made aware of rumors regarding Cotton and the chief back in 2014.Įichstaedt pointed out that it sure didn't sound like Condon was unaware of whom Erickson was referring to, considering Condon referred to "the issue. The city, according to the notes of SPD Lt.
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He was asking if any issue regarding an inappropriate relationship between Cotton and the chief had been brought up at all.
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And clearly, there had been.īut Condon denied there had been any complaints with a flat "no."Įrickson's question, by contrast, was different: He wasn't asking about sexual harassment. The trouble with these arguments, however, are the specific questions Condon was asked and the specific answers Condon gave.Įichstaedt points out that Ryals didn't specify he was only asking for formal complaints - he was asking if there had been any sexual harassment complaints lodged. King pointed out that Rick Eichstaedt, the attorney representing the National Organization for Women on the ethics complaint, hadn't provided any evidence to the contrary. The mayor even submitted a declaration to that effect: "On September 22, 2015, I had no knowledge that Monique Cotton's maiden name was Dugaw,'" the mayor writes. He didn't know Dugaw was Monique Cotton's maiden name. Even now, King said, Cotton has not filed a sexual harassment complaint through the city's official channels.Īnd in regards to Erickson's question, King argued that Condon didn't know who Dugaw even was. In regards to Ryals' question, King argued that Condon meant that there were no official complaints lodged against Straub. King's defense of Condon hinges on two assertions: This exchange became relevant the instant public documents revealed that not only had former police spokeswoman Monique Cotton told Condon and City Administrator Theresa Sanders that Straub "grabbed her ass and tried to kiss her," she also wanted a transfer out of his department because of it. that you speak of, that there has been no official filings of anything. Uh, the, the uh, the issue, um, with the uh.
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Has that been brought up at all? Was that any part of this as well?Ĭondon: The, the critical thing is the management style. KHQ reporter Patrick Erickson: There have been rumors of an inappropriate relationship between the chief and Ms. Inlander Reporter Mitch Ryals: Were there any sexual harassment complaints lodged against Frank? The ethics complaint homes in on this exchange: But the media guessed there might be something more to it. The mayor claimed the reason he had asked for the chief's resignation was because of Straub's management style.
DAVE ERICKSON KHQ SPOKANE FULL
Condon argued through his attorney, Jim King, that Condon was interrupted before he could give a full answer to an Inlander reporter therefore, in context, his statements were accurate.īack then, Condon was announcing the sudden resignation of police Chief Frank Straub.
DAVE ERICKSON KHQ SPOKANE HOW TO
Depending on whether it's allowed by the Open Public Meetings Act, the ethics commission members might discuss their thoughts on how to proceed in an "executive session" away from the eyes of the public.īut the most interesting part of the hearing was the debut of a never-before-seen defense for Mayor David Condon's statements at a Sept. Ultimately, the result of the hearing was inconclusive, with any major decisions deferred to a future meeting. Three out of the seven commission members didn't show up. Condon's attorney, Jim King, argues that no reasonable person could interpret Mayor David Condon's statements as false.įor a hearing involving the honesty or dishonesty of Spokane's mayor, last week's meeting of the ethics commission was anti-climactic.