RICHMOND, Va. -- Last September, Richmond's Chief Administrative Officer Byron Marshall left his job without any explanation. Marshall was the highest paid government official in the City of Richmond, and according to city records earned a $178,000 salary. His abrupt exit also came at a cost to taxpayers.
Former School Board Member Carol Wolf requested documents detailing the outside legal fees related to the matter, and she gave them to CBS 6 reporter Chelsea Rarrick. One of the documents shows an invoice received by the Richmond City Attorney's office on Oct. 29, 2014. The total amount due for "Executive Employment Advice" was $16,150. A check to an outside law firm from the Department of Finance was sent out on Dec. 2, 2014.
"This is the opposite of transparency," said Paul Goldman, government watchdog. "It's actually incredibly frustrating, they tell you what you have to pay but they won't tell you why."
Councilman Jon Baliles said to his understanding, the City Attorney did make it known there was a conflict of interest and outside counsel was necessary in this case. However, Baliles said, "If the administration had simply been transparent and not required a confidentiality agreement about Mr. Marshall's sudden and mysterious departure (which I did not sign) then none of the extra and wasteful expense would be necessary."
Councilwoman Reva Trammell called the charge to the taxpayers a "disgrace." She also wants to know why there is so much secrecy surrounding Marshall's exit.
CBS 6 went to the City Attorney's office Wednesday afternoon to get their side. A woman said the attorney was not in for the day. Tammy Hawley, the Mayor's press secretary issued this statement:
The City Attorney's office engages outside counsel whenever a) it has a professional conflict; b) a legal matter requires expertise not found in the Office, and c) a legal matter is of such size or complexity as to exceed the resources available to the Office. The City Attorney Office's annual report is available on-line and would address what they have spent in legal fees."
"If we have this kind of money to waste on lawyers, you can imagine how much other money is being wasted," said Goldman.
Our phone calls and messages to Council President Michelle Mosby and the rest of the council members were not returned.
