Did The City’s Own Lawyer Also Represent The High Performance Government Network Group?
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 5/9/08 @ 3:35 pm - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics
Look at the signature on the city’s contract with the High Performance Government Network. It appears that the signature representing HPGN could be that of former city corporation counsel Joe Kimmel. If so, this would be an enormous conflict of interest and (imo) a major ethical breach:
I’ve asked the city to tell me who’s signature that is but they routed my request through the Public Information Office which is completely ridiculous. The name of that signature is a question of fact and not policy or interpretation and there’s no reason for it to go through the PIO. It may in fact not be Kimmel’s signature but the public should know whose it is.
I would like to think that the city’s corporate counsel would not think it ethical to sign off on a contract with the city especially given the close ties this company has to the mayor. There’s also a chance that Kimmel had resigned as corporate counsel by that data but even so he shouldn’t be signing contracts only days after he left his job with the city.
City council should consider an ordinance that would close this type of revolving door between government and the private sector. There should be a moratorium of at least a year before a former employee is allowed to accept a city contract…
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4 Responses to “Did The City’s Own Lawyer Also Represent The High Performance Government Network Group?”
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I was able to confirm that it is indeed fact Joe Kimmel’s signature. Isn’t he a Baker-Daniels guy?
So let me get this straight, Kimmel was legally representing both the City of Fort Wayne as its Corporate Counsel AND HPGN?
How come this contract was not handled through normal channels as would any other vendor and acquisition process through the City Purchasing Director?
I hate to say this but, I agree with Tracy Warner, this stinks!
Fred,,,, you are so so right. From what rumors I am hearing (currently there is no paper trail) that we (taxpayers) will see some other strange events taking shape with regards to the operations out south.
While I did not vote for Tom Henry I have always liked him as a honest and pretty straight shooter. That is something shared by many people regardless to which political party they belong to.
However, Mayor Henry’s character will quickly tarnished with these type of events going on. Regardless who may be talking him into this kind of stuff Henry is the one who will pay the price.
Then again if Mayor Henry does not take action on the postings of Phil Marx’s blog then that will drag him down. Henry will pay the price because he has a police chief who is either not in charge or believes allowing open air selling of drugs/gun trades on a known street intersection is OK.
Mr. Henry ran, in part on a platform, that he had the leadership skills to run the city. Here are two cases where is LACK OF ACTION is starting to point toward that he does not have the leadership he claimed. Which would be sad.
JQ,
The contract shenanigans referred to in the post have nothing to do with Mayor Henry as they were executed days before he took office. Of course he might be able to cancel them but I’m not sure - either way I would bet every council member is currently trying to figure out what’s going on…
That is whaT I mean Jeff with regards to the contract. It is time for him to clear the air on this matter. standing by means he approves of such. It also calls into question once again the controller for the City of Fort Wayne.