City Attorney Julie Lombardi during an Owasso City Council meeting in June. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
OWASSO -- The city attorney has vehemently defended herself against a city councilor who questioned her integrity and professional conduct last month in letter from his attorney.
In an 18-page document dated June 11 and written by attorney Christopher Camp, Ward 4 Councilor Patrick Ross criticized City Attorney Julie Lombardi, saying her conduct regarding recent legal issues warranted investigation if not termination.
In an 11-page letter released this week, Lombardi writes that said those allegations have no merit in the facts or law.
She writes that the Camp letter is “deeply troubling in its reckless inaccuracy and, worse yet, its accusatory untruths. Equally disturbing is the repeated willingness of an attorney and councilor to write and publish page after page after page of defamatory distortions and, frankly, accusations and name-calling that have no basis in actuality of law.
“It seems civility, respect, integrity and character were set aside in the name of anger, zeal and revenge. This is both disappointing and disheartening and has resulted in city staff wondering if they will one morning wake up and read such a letter about themselves in the Tulsa World.”
Camp wrote that he was retained by Ross following threats of federal litigation against the councilor from three developers: Sai Milan LLC, SAHO Properties and Maple Glen Development Co. Inc. The developers were denied final plat approval at a council meeting March 19, with Ross being one of two councilors to vote against all three measures.
In litigation filed April 2, the developers asked a judge to reverse the council’s rejection of the plats, which were later approved by the council in a May 7 revote.
“It appears that Lombardi has conspired with (former City Manager Rodney) Ray in an attempt to publicly malign Mr. Ross and intentionally expose him to legal liability and financial ruin, all in the name of political revenge,” Camp wrote.
He suggested, among other things, that Lombardi acted inappropriately in leading a public discussion of certain municipal legal issues that should have been addressed confidentially in executive session; that she intentionally acted to increase Ross’ legal exposure; and that she responded too hastily to the developers’ lawsuits.
As for Camp's notion that she tried to malign Ross and fellow Councilor Charlie Brown, Lombardi writes, “These assertions are among the most unfounded, meritless and desperate allegations I have ever seen in the legal profession. They illustrate only a contumacious and virulent attempt to achieve an illegitimate goal of terminating my employment by manufacturing a 'cause’ where it does not otherwise exist.”
Lombardi’s letter was dated July 1 but not made public until this week because it was protected by attorney-client privilege, which the City Council voted to waive Tuesday, authorizing the documents’ release.
The city attorney writes that she has been bolstered by support from residents, the legal community and city attorneys throughout the state, adding that she wants to move past the letter.
“Patrick Ross is a member of the City Council, and it is important to me to provide him with the best possible legal advice and representation I can give in the future just as it always has been in the past,” her letter states.
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DOCUMENT:Read the letter from the Owasso city attorney.
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