Los Alamitos council waives privilege on investigation report, schedules censure meeting for Dec. 16

The Los Alamitos City Council voted 3-0 to waive attorney-client privilege on an investigation report and directed staff to set a special meeting Dec. 16 to consider a formal censure of Councilmember Murphy, the city attorney said.

The city attorney reported the council met in closed session to receive an investigation report concerning “the claim that council member Murphy abused her authority as a council member by attempting to obtain financial information from TNT Fireworks regarding a Los Alamitos Community Foundation fundraiser.” The report was prepared on Dec. 10, 2024, by Karen Kramer, Esquire, of Kramer Workplace Investigations, the city attorney said.

After discussing the report, the city attorney said, the council voted 3 to 0 — with Mayor Nafolda, Mayor Pro Tem Hasselbrink and Council member Dobie in favor — to waive the attorney-client privilege attached to that investigation report. The council also voted to direct staff to set a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 16, at 5:30 p.m. to consider a formal censure of Councilmember Murphy, the city attorney reported.

Council members Hibbert and Murphy were recorded as absent during the roll call. The city attorney did not state findings of guilt or specific sanctions in the report read to the council during the public meeting; the vote released the report for further public or administrative steps and scheduled a separate meeting to consider censure.

The council adjourned the special meeting at 5:54 p.m. The item was listed as agenda item 4A in the meeting notice.