Public accuses police and council of hiding findings; city reports closed‑session settlement and legal opinion
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Summary
Members of the public alleged the San Bernardino Police Department and union leadership illegally accessed Treasurer Trisha Ortiz's records and called for release of investigative findings. The City Attorney reported a closed‑session settlement on an unrelated case and stated his legal view that council members receiving union donations did not have a conflict under the Levine Act.
San Bernardino — Concerns about an alleged illegal search of a city database and the council’s handling of related claims dominated public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, where residents demanded transparency and some called for independent disclosures of internal investigative findings.
Multiple speakers cited text messages they said came from Chief Darren Goodman that referenced a CLETS audit entry and a detective working a criminal case. "Where is the misrepresentation of the facts? Where is the unfair disparagement?" public commenter John Shellenberger asked after reading the messages aloud; other speakers urged the council to release any investigative reports and to consider recusal where political contributions could create the appearance of a conflict.
City Attorney Remarks: The City Attorney responded to public concern after closed session, reporting that the council had a reportable action on an unrelated litigation matter — the settlement of Jeffrey Lamont Williams v. City of San Bernardino for $199,999 — and giving his professional legal opinion that receipt of contributions from unions (including the San Bernardino Police Officers Association) does not create a conflict under the Levine Act for participation in closed session about a lawsuit. He said the Levine Act applies to contracts, permits and entitlements, not to internal litigation decisions.
Requests for Documents: Speakers asked the city to release the independent investigator Stephen Larson’s findings and any internal reports that staff relied on when publicly characterizing Treasurer Trisha Ortiz’s claim as frivolous. Several speakers urged an independent or forensic review and asked whether the city’s public statements prematurely characterized Ortiz’s lawsuit before fact‑gathering occurred.
What happens next: No new public release of Larson’s report was announced at meeting end. The attorney’s legal opinion about conflicts was presented publicly; members of the public said they would continue to press for independent disclosures and, in some instances, for administrative actions if evidence supports misconduct.
