How did the City Administrator, who hired the department heads that mismanaged two of the city's biggest disasters in modern history, secure a $1.6MM payment for emotional damages and lost wages in secret without a city council vote until after elections?
How did the City Administrator, who hired the department heads that mismanaged two of the city's biggest disasters in modern history, secure a $1.6MM payment for emotional damages and lost wages in secret without a city council vote until after the 2023 municipal elections?
Important note to the reader: All underlined phrases in the timeline below hyperlink to the document that corroborates that statement. Most of the hyperlinked documents were acquired through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
January, 1995: Thomas Warner is hired as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Davenport, Iowa. Warner is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law and previously worked as an associate attorney at McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago and Lane & Waterman in Davenport.
April, 2007: Warner is promoted to lead the city’s legal department as Corporation Counsel. His annual salary is increased from $83,591 to $94,000.
August, 2014: Davenport City Administrator Craig Malin hires Corrin Spiegel as an Assistant to the City Administrator.
June 24, 2015: Davenport City Administrator, Craig Malin, leaves after 17 years in the position. "Mr. Malin thanked Council members for their professional and positive approach to resolving Mayor Bill Gluba's sudden and unilateral resignation requests of last week," Malin said in his statement. "Mr. Malin is not resigning in response to Mayor Gluba's dual-targeted requests of him and Corporation Counsel Tom Warner to do so. Rather, he is moving forward positively, with an amicable party as Davenport's longest-serving City Administrator."
June 25, 2015: Corrin Spiegel becomes Interim City Administrator.
November 9, 2015: With 21.56% of eligible voters voting, Frank Klipsch beats Bill Gluba for mayor 10,206 to 4.998.
December 2015: City forms a search committee and hires Strategic Government Resources who secure 34 applicants for the permanent City Administrator position.
July 11-12, 2016: City officials interview three finalists for permanent City Administrator and the public is invited to meet all three.
July 20, 2016: Spiegel hired as Davenport City Administrator at an annual salary of $178,000.
“This is Spiegel’s first time as a full-time city administrator. She previously served as economic development director of the city of Centennial, Colorado.” Spiegel prevails over the then Hilton Head, South Carolina town manager and Stallings, North Carolina’s city manager. Spiegel states, “I am proud of the great strides we have made in our transparency efforts, customer experience platform, public safety initiatives, and economic development and I look forward to continuing the progress.”
May 15, 2017: Rich Oswald is hired and made head of the newly created Neighborhood Services. He is in charge of all rental inspections in Davenport. He has had no previous experience as a rental inspector. His starting salary is $107,000 a year.
July 20, 2017: Davenport Fire Chief Lynn Washburn-Livingston files harassment and bullying complaint against Spiegel with the city of Davenport’s Human Resources Department.
July 24, 2017: 2:26 PM: Spiegel informed Washburn via email of the decision to place her on administrative leave. (Documentation pending.)
In 2021, Washburn would eventually sue the city of Davenport and win about $260,000 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by the former fire chief who alleged she was discriminated against because of her age and gender. The city’s insurance carrier Travelers Insurance settled the lawsuit without city council approval, as allowed under the city’s policy. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said he would have preferred to have the case go to court. “We are disappointed. We were looking forward to a public trial on this matter,” city attorney Tom Warner stated.
Jan. 31, 2018 4:30 AM: Quad City Times reporter Devan Patel’s article titled, “Change marks Davenport administrator's first years on the job,” is published on the paper’s web site. The article opens with, “One-third of the 12 major department heads have changed in the time Corri Spiegel was promoted from assistant to the city administrator to city administrator.” Patel recounts details on the departures of Fire Chief Washburn, Public Works Director Michael Clarke (2015), Police Chief Don Schaeffer (2015), and Chief Information Officer Rob Henry (2016). Patel quotes Clarke as stating, ““My regret is huge. I had to abandon my staff to what was a toxic environment. I love where I landed, but I don’t like the way it happened.” Patel’s article includes details of Spiegel creating new job positions such as the Inclusion and Equity Administrator to be overseen directly by Spiegel which replaced the affirmative action officer previously located in the Human Resources office. The article reports that Spiegel created a new position Capital Manager and filled it with Clay Mallory who was Spiegel’s assistant Mallory Merritt’s husband.
As of February 29, 2024 Mrs. Merritt is employed as the Interim City Administrator and Chief Finacial Officer and according to Mr. Merrit's LinkedIn profile he is is currently employed as the Assistant Public Works Director and according to the city's Departments web page he is employed as the Director of Engineering & Capital Projects.
Jan. 31, 2018 6:00 AM: The Quad City Times removes Patel’s article “Change marks Davenport administrator's first years on the job,” from its website. Roughly three weeks later Patel leaves The Quad City Times.
April 30, 2019 3:25:07: The temporary levy made of HESCO barriers collapses, flooding downtown Davenport. “The inundation was so sudden that emergency responders had to rescue people from buildings.”
November 5, 2019: “Despite low turnout for the 2019 elections,” (16.63%) Mike Matson is elected mayor over Rita Rawson 7,199 to 4,871.
January 28, 2020: Three years before a section of the building at 324 Main Street would collapse and kill three tenants, a city rental inspection includes photographs of the deteriorating red brick wall that collapsed. Starting on page six of the report are clear photos of the infamous brick wall beginning to fail (the photo is time-stamped 01/24/2020).
See the Reader cover story from February 2024 for the extensive timeline and linked documentation on this disaster.
August 26, 2020: Official Notice and Order. Seventy four violations including, “Throughout the entire 6th floor. Replace/Repair water damaged ceilings,” Inoperable Fire Alarm system and, “Exterior Walls-Deteriorated / missing exterior block / brick / stucco / stone.” This is the wall that will collapse three years later.
May 26, 2021: Final Official Notice. Seventy-four Violations cited with photographs included. None of these violations will be fixed.
June 21, 2021: 324 Main Street is sold by Waukee Investments I, LLC to Davenport Hotel, LLC for $4,193,000. Davenport Hotel, LLC was created on May 20, 2021 by Andrew Wold.
August 2, 2021: “RI [Re-Inspections] on existing violations [at 324 Main Street] on hold per Rich Oswald – TCH [Tony Haut]” Rich Oswald is Director of Development & Neighborhood Services. Anthony (Tony) Haut is the Code Enforcement Officer at Neighborhood Services. The Development and Neighborhood Services Department is responsible for planning, zoning, and code enforcement activities. No further re-inspections were performed at 324 Main Street after this order. Tenants were placed in apartments that had open housing violations. (A July 2023 amended lawsuit accuses Oswald of voluntary manslaughter, non-felonious mis-conduct in office, neglect of duty and felonious misconduct in office.)
August 27, 2021: Andrew Wold applies for rental license for 324 Main St. Wold does not pay fee.
November 2, 2021: Mayor Matson is re-elected over Athena Gilbraith 6,860 to 5,394. Voter turnout drops to 12.01%.
January 28, 2022: The city of Davenport sends Wold a Final Notice of Delinquent Rental License fees. “This letter is your final notice that all delinquent fees are to be paid in full by the end of the business day on 2/11/2022.” Wold did not pay the delinquent fees by 2/11/2022 and no actions were taken.
June 22, 2022: The Davenport city council passes a resolution in support of the state of Iowa awarding tax credits for, “the 324 Main Street – The Davenport Project,” and offering local matching funds from the city in an amount not less than $1,000 per dwelling unit...”
January 26, 2023: Humility Homes Executive Director Ashley Velez writes in an email to Third Ward Alderman Marion Meginnis that tenants at 324 Main Street have not had heat for weeks. “I am hoping that you can help address this as this property management company is not a great one and we feel are taking advantage of tenants,” she wrote to Meginnis. The next day, Meginnis forwarded Velez’s complaint to Rich Oswald, director of Davenport’s Neighborhood Services, Mayor Mike Matson and City Administrator Corri Spiegel. No further action was taken by anyone at the city. Rich Oswald and Corri Spiegel are both defendants in multiple lawsuits filed by the victims of 324 Main Street.
February 2, 2023: Notice of Public Hazard. “Part of the south-west wall has been gradually failing. This failure is seen to continue on the inside whythes of brick masonry as well. There is visible crumbling of this exterior load being wall under the support beam.” This report contains numerous photographs which visibly show that collapse is imminent.
This document is signed by Trishna R. Pradhan, Chief Building Official. Ms. Pradhan resigned her position with the city the day after the partial collapse of 324 Main Street. She is also named as a defendant in the combined lawsuits. She is represented by the city’s outside counsel Lane and Waterman.
February 21, 2023: The Quad City Times reports that City Administrator Corri Spiegel salary and benefits now total $338,445 a year.
March 13, 2023: Letter from Fire Marshal Jim Morris to Andrew Wold. “The lack of responsiveness with this property is unacceptable, this is a R-2 building that has many occupants and requires the life safety equipment to be fixed and inspected as required by code.”
May 3, 2023: Official Notice to Vacate. “…conditions / violations have not been corrected therefore the building [324 Main Street] has been tagged / ordered vacated and is deemed substandard.” “This is the Final Notice to vacate this building/unit by: 6/3/2023, 07:30 AM.”
May 27, 2023 2:51 PM: Davenport Fire Department 911 Report. “E1C was dispatched to… [324 Main Street] for a passer-by who called in 911 in regards to large multi-story building with bricks “bulging” out… Chief 1 also arrived on scene and stated this matter has already been addressed and there was no further action needed from E1C.” Davenport Fire Department was on scene for 4 minutes. The next day the building would collapse.
May 28, 2023 4:55 PM: 324 Main Street partial collapse. Branden Colvin, 42, Ryan Hitchcock, 51 and Daniel Prien, 61, are killed. Peach Berry is trapped in the rubble.
May 28, 2023 sometime after 5:01 PM: Peach Berry’s leg is amputated on site. “It was determined that empathy for the victim and her partner [Lexus Berry] should be employed. The victim’s partner was donned in protective gear and lead to the rescue area to see the victim and exchange any words they desired’ no physical contact was allowed due to the nature of the area. The very brief exchange was discontinued and the civilian was led out of the building…”
May 29. 2023 12:46 PM: City Administrator Corri Spiegel writes in an email, "We have authorized the emergency demolition contract with Valley Construction, who is mobilized on-site." In fact, no contract with Valley Construction was ever authorized. D. W. Zinser Co. Inc. of Walford, Iowa would eventually be paid $647,000 for the work.
May 29, 2023: Crowds gather to protest demolition after woman pulled from collapsed Davenport apartment.
May 29, 2023 5:00 PM: Lisa Brooks found alive on fourth floor of 324 Main Street. “Woman emerges from Davenport apartment building set to be demolished hours later.”
June 5, 2023: The first of eight lawsuits is filed against the city claiming the city knew that 324 Main Street was unsafe for human habitation.
June 14, 2023: “Davenport City Council members are speaking out alleging they are being silenced by city staff.” Aldermen Derek Cornette, Judith Lee and Tim Kelly are placed on a “communications protocol,” which forbids them from speaking or communicating directly with city staff. “20% of Davenport City Council [is] being inappropriately and unacceptably obstructed from efficiently and effectively performing our responsibilities and duty,” Lee said.”TV6 filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking for communications between the city attorney, city administrator and any other relevant staff to Lee and Cornette. City Corporation Counsel Warner declined to comment on the communication protocol.
August 31, 2023: Administrative Assistant to Mayor/Council Tiffany Thorndike sends ‘Amicable Separation Agreement Request’ to City Attorney Warner. This document, and Administrative Assistant to Mayor/Council Samantha Torres’ Amicable Separation Agreement Request, below, are extremely important documents. These documents are so important that Thorndike and Torres filed an Application for Protective Order in the city of Davenport’s lawsuit against me to keep these documents confidential (“Tiffany Thorndike and Samantha Torres request that this Court enter an Order placing Defendant’s Exhibits D and E (this document) at a security level limiting access to the parties and Court.” That’s why you should go to the Reader web site, read them and ask yourself, “is the harassment alleged in this and Torres’ allegations of such a level that they are entitled to the payments that they received from the city?”
One legal filing states, “the described alleged acts of, “discrimination, harassment, bias, intimidation, and retaliation by the City and its officials,” therein to be painfully trivial and clearly not so egregious as to warrant the extraordinarily lucrative Severance Agreements (See Exhibits “H” and “I”) that the Intervenors received.” While another legal filing undercuts Thorndike’s Torres’s and Spiegel’s arguments for their payoffs by stating, “There were no written complaints filed by either Spiegel, Thorndike or Torres against any employee or official of the City of Davenport with the City Human Resources department, prior to the execution of each Settlement Agreement, on September 8, 2023 and October 6, 2023.”
August 31, 2023: ‘Torres’ sends ‘Amicable Separation Agreement Request’ to City Attorney Warner. Again, the reader is urged to download and read this actual document. In addition to the statements, above, look at both the Thorndike and Torres ‘demand letters’. They appear to be written by the same person and submitted at exactly the same time. They are not written on an attorney’s stationery. Who wrote these demand letters and why?
September 1, 2023 8:04: Corri Spiegel sends email to her administrative assistant Mallory Merritt with attached Thorndike and Torres separation agreements.
September 1, 2023 8:10: Corri Spiegel sends email to city aldermen that Thorndike and Torres will be out of office indefinitely.
This is the infamous leaked email.
September 6, 2023: City Administrator Spiegel and City Attorney Warner issue ‘News Release’ about the September 1, 2023 leaked email. “It is essential to recognize that these employees were compelled to take leave due to a work environment that was no longer tolerable, resulting from the actions and behaviors of multiple elected officials. Regrettably, the act of disclosing this information serves as additional vindictive retaliation against already victimized employees.
The media, more focused on sensationalism than ethical fact finding, has been utilized as an instrument to exacerbate the harm.
The sincere hope is that those promoting a false narrative will have the decency to publicly apologize to the affected employees, extend their apologies to the impacted families, and promptly issue a formal correction statement. Due to this being a confidential personnel matter, no further comments will be made.”
This public statement does not cite what the false narrative is that resulted from an alderman ostensibly leaking Spiegel’s September 1, 2023 email. Nor does this news release articulate that which must be formally corrected.
September 6, 2023: With less than 24 hours warning, the city of Davenport schedules a ‘trial’ to remove Alderman Cornette. The ‘trial of Alderman Cornette’ is scheduled for September 7, 2023, at 5:00 PM. It will feature the written testimony of Thorndike, Torres and Spiegel.
September 6, 2023 3:49 PM: Warner sends email to seven aldermen stating, “I received proposals from Tiffany Thorndike and Samantha Torres,” and, “… please let me know by 5:00 PM, Thursday, September 7, 2023 … otherwise I will proceed.” What is the rush? Why does Warner have to close the settlement agreements with Thorndike and Torres before 5:00 PM. Thursday, September 7, 2023? What is happening at precisely that time?
September 7, 2023: ‘Thorndike’ sends Warner ‘Addendum 1 – Amicable Separation Agreement Request’.
September 7, 2023 3:52 PM: Warner emails Torres and Thorndike with settlement acceptance. This is an hour and eight minutes before the ‘Cornette Trial’ which will use Thorndike’s and Torres’s written testimony of harassment against the alderman.
September 7, 2023 5:00 PM: City council meeting of the ‘Cornette trial’. Thorndike’s, Torres’s and Spiegel’s written testimony make up most of the alleged charges against Cornette.
September 8, 2023: Thorndike and Torres sign their Separation Agreements the day after the ‘Cornette Trial’. The Thorndike Separation agreement, calls for Thorndike to receive $157,000 plus health insurance for another year. The Torres Separation Agreement calls for Torres to receive $140,500 plus a year of health insurance. A crucial section of both documents (and the later Separation Agreement that Spiegel would sign, too) all contain the same boilerplate that forbids Thorndike, Torres or Spiegel from suing the city, again:
“Thorndike/Torres/Spiegel hereby releases and forever discharges the City and its officers, employees, and agents, in their official capacities, of and from any and all past or present claims, demands, obligations, actions and causes of action of any name or nature, accrued or hereafter to accrue, and whether based on tort, contract, or other theory of recover arising out of or in connection with her employment with the City, including, but not limited to, any claims of retaliation or discrimination prohibited by the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act or the Davenport Ordinance on Human Rights. The parties further agree not to sue or otherwise institute any legal proceeding of any nature against the other party, with the exception of litigation by either party to enforce the terms of this Agreement.” (Emphasis added.)
September 15, 2023: Spiegel demand letter allegedly submitted to Warner. We have never seen the Spiegel Demand Letter. The city of Davenport currently suing me to keep this document confidential.
September 15, 2023: Alderman Cornette files lawsuit against city of Davenport. “Ald. Cornette is being retaliated against by the city of Davenport and the mayor, in our opinions, because of public comments he's made concerning the 324 Main St. building collapse," [Cornette’s attorney Mike] Meloy said, as well as his stances on other public issues.”
September 28, 2023: Mayor Matson is interviewed on WQPT local PBS TV station by Jim Mertens. "What can be said as far as the cost (from the pending lawsuits of 324 Main Street building collapse) to the city and the taxpayers?" Mertens asks. Matson replies, "Well, we're hoping to get some of that cost back from the respective people responsible."
October 6, 2023: Warner sends out email to city council and mayor stating that the, “plane landed yesterday,” which is a reference to having concluded a settlement agreement with City Administrator Corrin Spiegel.
October 6, 2023: Spiegel signs Separation Agreement. Spiegel is to be paid $600,000 for lost wages plus another $1,000,000 for, “emotional pain and suffering,” (not subject to employment taxes). Also health insurance until December 2024. Like the Torres and Thorndike Agreements (above) Spiegel agrees not to sue the city of Davenport.
October 10, 2023: Davenport Municipal Elections Primaries results (voter turnout is 5.72%): Croken 1,422, Matson 1,774, Collins 507, Westmoreland 311.
October 20, 2023: Tiffany Thorndike gets check for $157,000.00 as “Severance,” from the city of Davenport.
October 20, 2023: Samantha Torres gets check for $140,500.00 as “Severance,” from the city of Davenport.
October 27, 2023: Mayor Matson is, “unavailable” to debate the issues with his opponent Ken Croken, who posts on his blog, “WQPT-TV (PBS Quad Cities) has proposed a debate between the mayoral candidates in order to highlight the differences in policy and approach but Davenport Mayor Matson is unavailable.”
November 7, 2023: With a voter turnout of 15.55% Matson is re-elected over State Representative Ken Croken 6,258 to 4.604.
November 13, 2023: I submit FOIA request for, “…any separation or settlement agreement between the city of Davenport and Ms. Thorndike and Ms. Torres. Also, any documentation or records relation to their separation of employment.”
November 17, 2023: “The city of Davenport and City Administrator Corri Spiegel are announcing a transition in leadership, effective Jan. 2, 2024.”
November 17, 2023: I submit a FOIA for, “any and all documents or written correspondence, and recorded (open or closed) Executive Council Sessions relating to Corrine Spiegel's employment and termination/separation with the city of Davenport from July 1, 2023 to November 17, 2023.”
November 20, 2023: City Attorney Warner announces retirement. “Warner’s retirement comes less than a week after the city announced what it calls a “transition in leadership”: that city administrator Corri Spiegel would no longer serve in that position. Her last day will also be Jan. 2.” The news release states in part, “Over the years, Warner wrote or helped draft many state laws related to cities that Governors of both major parties signed. In 2002, he worked with the lowa Attorney General’s Office to develop real estate contract sales disclosures to assist buyers in understanding the true terms of the transaction as a consumer protection measure. In 2004, Warner drafted lowa Code §657A.10B and several other related state code provisions that allowed cities to obtain ownership of abandoned and nuisance properties through court action and other avenues. In 2015, Warner drafted legislation and started a push for the state to increase immunity for cities related to recreational activities generally, and in particular sledding, that resulted in legislation that provided the protection. In 2017, Warner was involved in drafting legislation requiring individuals being held for certain crimes involving a gun to be seen by a magistrate or judge before being released or having a bond amount set. In 2022, Warner drafted a law that became lowa Code §123.56 that strengthened a city’s ability to deal with alcohol establishments that have become public safety nuisances through court action.”
December 1, 2023: In response to the FOIA that I submitted on November 17, 2023, Assistant Corporation Counsel Brian Heyer’s provides Spiegel’s employment contracts and separation agreement. Heyer’s letter doesn’t mention the existence of Spiegel’s demand letter, which is now the subject of the city of Davenport vs. Sidran lawsuit.
December 4, 2023: Heyer sends an email to the mayor, city council, Merritt and attorney Brett Marshall at Lane and Waterman that reads in part: “On the advice of outside counsel, Corporation Counsel Warner was placed on leave. This is a personnel matter so it should not be discussed.”
December 5, 2023: Judge agrees with former alderman Derek Cornette in lawsuit against City of Davenport; city appeals to Iowa Supreme Court. “This is a close case. City Council removal proceedings are not judicial in nature, they do not need to abide by every nicety of the law court. But, in this case, the Council failed to provide the irreducible minimum of due process,” Seventh Judicial Court Judge Henry W. Latham wrote in his 16-page ruling.
December 24, 2023 10:26 PM: Spiegel and Warner photographed together at Christmas Eve party. The image is posted on Facebook.
January 2, 2024: Corrin Spiegel gets electronic funds transfer for $1,000,000.00 from city of Davenport.
January 11, 2024: Dr. Allen L. Diercks files lawsuit against the city of Davenport, the city council of the city of Davenport and Thomas D. Warner. Diercks is asking that, “Warner’s actions in signing the three contracts and the Council’s actions to “ratify” these three contracts on December 13, 2023 were each illegal, ultra vires, erroneous and void,” and that the Court, “Declare that the City shall take legal action to clawback all monetary payments made to Spiegel, Thorndike and Torres.”
January 12, 2024: Corrin Spiegel gets $600,000.00 check for Severance from the city of Davenport.
January 25, 2024: In response to FOIA request #22-2024 for, “Any complaints made to the city of Davenport Human Resources department by Tiffany Thorndike, Samantha Torres and Corrine Spiegel,” Assistant City Attorney Mallory Bagby denies my FOIA request.
January 25, 2024: I submit a FOIA request for, “any complaints, demand letters or negotiations sent to the city of Davenport’s Legal department by Tiffany Thorndike, Samantha Torres or Corrine [sic] Spiegel.” In response to a previous FOIA, the city of Davenport supplied me with the Thorndike and Torres demand letters. However, the city has repeatedly refused to give up the Spiegel demand letter.
February 14, 2024: 8:38 AM: I write an email to Mr. Brian Krup, city of Davenport deputy city clerk, reminding him that the city is now in violation of Iowa State Code 22.8.d and has not yet replied to my FOIA for Corri Spiegel’s demand letter.
February 14, 2024: The city of Davenport sues me because I requested a copy of the Spiegel demand letter.
February 15, 2024: Brett Marshall, attorney at Lane & Waterman, writes to Mallory Merritt, interim City Administrator, “Mallory, By way of an update, we filed the declaratory judgment action with the court yesterday requesting that the court tell us whether Corri’s demand letter is a confidential record under Chapter 22… the lawsuit names Mr. Sidran as a defendant…”
February 15, 2024: City of Davenport issues statement that, “Dr. Sidran was named as a defendant only because he has requested copies of the records in question.” As the Defendant in this lawsuit and as the author of this timeline, I feel obliged to say, “WTF?!” I am being sued because I had the audacity to insist the city government be transparent about how and why it spends millions of our tax payer dollars in secret under clearly questionable circumstances, and request a document? Yes, that is why the city of Davenport sued me.
February 18, 2024: Thorndike and Torres file a Motion to Intervene and Resistance in part to Expedited Review. Thorndike and Torres are arguing that the city of Davenport shouldn’t have released their demand letters to me in a previous FOIA.
February 19, 2024: I file my Defendant’s Response to Plaintiff’s Petition for Declaratory Judgment. I am defending myself pro se, which means that I don’t have an attorney but my wonderful wife, Kelly, has a lot of experience as a paralegal and provides invaluable help.
February 20, 2024: I file Defendant’s Response to Intervenor’s Motion to Intervene and Resistance to Expedited Review in which I point out to the Court that, “the Defendant has received copies of both the Torres and Thorndike demand letters twice, with the latest copies of these documents having been sent and received on February 15, 2024, after this lawsuit was filed. See Exhibit “C”. Furthermore, the Defendant knows that other Davenport citizens, Davenport property owners and local media have also received copies of the same documents in response to their FOIA requests.”
February 21, 2024: Thorndike and Torres file an Application for Protective Order that requests that Court enter an Order placing Defendant’s Exhibits D and E at a security level limiting access to the parties and Court.” In other words, they don’t want anybody to see their demand letters, which everybody already has a copy of.
February 22, 2024: I file Defendant’s Response to Intervenor’s Application for Protective Order to Thorndike’s and Torres’s motion to seal documents and point out to the Court that, “This is not 1920 when an incriminating negative can be destroyed. It is 100 years later and all data and documents tend to replicate in the wild of the internet without the Defendant’s assistance” In other words, there are too many copies of Thorndike’s and Torres’s demand letters out on the internet to do anything about it at this point.
February 22, 2024: Iowa Freedom of Information Council files Motion to Intervene (called the ‘Letter’ in, now numerous, legal filings) on my behalf. The cavalry has arrived. The Iowa Freedom of Information Council argues that, “the Letter (a) is a public record under Iowa Code § 22.1(3); it is in the possession and custody of the City of Davenport as a government body as defined by Iowa Code § 22.1(1); (b) Sidran requested it from the City of Davenport as a “lawful custodian” under Iowa Code § 22.1(2); and (c) Sidran and anyone else who requests it should receive access pursuant to Iowa Code § 22.4.”
Author
Anonymous (not verified)
