Exclusive: Seattle police monitor blasts city for 'humiliating' him

BY Brandi Kruse  on February 21, 2013 @ 4:04 am (Updated: 9:23 am - 2/21/13 )

merrick-bobb.jpg
The city budget office told police monitor Merrick Bobb it had an issue with certain items being put on the city's tab, including "alcohol and alcohol-related expenses," expensive meals, toilet paper and a $35 Egyptian cotton pillowcase. (Photo: patterico.com) | Zoom
The court-appointed monitor in charge of overseeing Seattle Police Department reforms sent a pointed email to city officials after they questioned expenses he and his team billed to taxpayers.

Documents obtained by KIRO Radio through public disclosure show an ongoing discussion between the mayor's office, the City Attorney's Office, the city's budget office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC), which is the Los Angeles-based consulting firm headed by monitor Merrick Bobb.

Bobb and his firm were chosen to oversee a settlement, or "consent decree," between the Department of Justice and the city after a federal investigation found that Seattle police officers had a pattern of using excessive force.

The city has budgeted $800,000 over the next year to pay for costs associated with the monitor, which include Bobb's base pay of $250 per hour.

As part of the settlement, Bobb and his team are authorized to bill expenses to the city in the course of their work. Such expenses include rent at an apartment in Seattle, furnishings for the apartment, travel and a daily allowance to cover food.

But in January, the budget office told Bobb's firm it had an issue with certain items being put on the city's tab, including "alcohol and alcohol-related expenses," expensive meals, toilet paper and a $35 Egyptian cotton pillowcase.

Overall concerns included a lack of itemized receipts, missing or incomplete receipts, charges that exceeded set limits, possible double charges, charges for items not allowed under city travel policies and charges on days when the team was not scheduled to work.

On Jan. 17, the city called a meeting with Bobb and his staff to address the items, during which the team was reminded that items they expense are subject to public disclosure and could "paint the Monitor or City in a bad light."

The city also questioned why the team did not provide a breakdown of their work during hours they billed to taxpayers. A member of Bobb's staff told the city that they "did not want to be subject to additional scrutiny for what they were doing with their time" while on the job.

Several hours after the meeting, Merrick Bobb sent an email to the city to express his frustration with what had occurred.

" ... we decline in the future to go through the humiliating, time-consuming, and obstructionist process we went through this morning where we were required to justify each pillowcase in the Seattle apartment, a toolkit to put together furniture bought at IKEA, or a $5.99 corkscrew, among other trivialities," Bobb wrote in the email, which was sent to the budget office, the City Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice.

"Although we are happy to answer legitimate inquiries, we cannot abide being treated as if we were suspects being grilled about theft from the city," he continued. "We are professionals and expect to be treated as such."

Bobb wrote that a delay in approving the team's December invoice would put "unnecessary roadblocks and obstacles" in his path.

He went on to say that the city was putting its agreement with the DOJ in jeopardy.

"I'm not certain that we can currently say we are getting cooperation from the city regarding the monitoring or movement toward full and effective implementation of the consent decree," he wrote.

Read the full e-mail from Merrick Bobb (PDF)

That line in particular concerned a source within the city, which is why they brought the email to KIRO Radio's attention on the condition of anonymity.

Bobb is in charge of reporting the city's progress to the DOJ and could put the city at risk of federal penalties if he decided they violated the settlement agreement by questioning his expenses.

The city sent Bobb an email the following day to respond to his concerns.

"We approached this conversation and the one on the previous bill as a discussion of which items in the bill might be problematic for any City consultant," the email read. "We hope we can continue to respectfully raise issues without jeopardizing your view of the City's overall cooperation and movement toward compliance with the Agreement."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Seattle city attorney said any issues between Bobb and the city have been resolved and that their office was simply "educating the Monitoring Team about City guidelines on expense reimbursement."

Reached by email, Merrick Bobb sent KIRO Radio a statement. In it, he said he and the city were still "feeling their way" through the monitoring process.

"We each took a tone we later regretted, followed by mutual apologies," he wrote.

Bobb said his team has taken a "careful and prudent approach to how Seattle taxpayer money is spent," and called the conflict a "small dust-up."

The Justice Department declined to comment on this story.

The police department declined to comment on this story.

The mayor's office declined to comment on this story.

A second source who works for the city told KIRO Radio that city officials are afraid to speak openly and honestly on the matter. The source was "paralyzed with fear" about potential repercussions for speaking badly about the monitor.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (42)


  • Add A Comment

  • froggy wrote...
    Sounds like the State Auditor needs to review this one.
    February 21, 2013 5:10 am
    Since the City employees would be intimidated, let the State come in and see if the rules are being followed. Bobb is making $10,000.00 dollars a week all by himself. His base pay for a year is $520,000.00 if he's putting in a 40 hour work week. His team gets to share $280,000.00. No disparity there.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    $35 pillow case?
    February 21, 2013 5:26 am
    And you people complain about the police. HILARIOUS!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • USMC0311 wrote...
    The Police are still a problem
    February 21, 2013 9:50 am
    Regardless of how much this schmuck charged the taxpayers for a pillowcase. The police are still a problem to complain about.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    what? More fraud and corruption with our tax dollars?
    February 21, 2013 5:27 am
    Good thing you all voted to EXPAND more govt!!!! = more fraud and corruption with our tax dollars....anyone hear about the 800,000 pentagon layoffs due to the fiscal cliff Obama refuses to deal with? Where is that story? The Hill is reporting it.....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • imanegro wrote...
    What a whiner.
    February 21, 2013 5:28 am
    Grow a pair. You're playing with the big boys now.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    They look good
    February 21, 2013 5:40 am
    questioning them on how they are spending tax payer money. Threatening them for calling them to the carpet on several purchases is a punk move.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Regularjoe44 wrote...
    Rules don't apply to me
    February 21, 2013 5:54 am
    Or so this guy seems to think. My boss checks my expense report and would question issue. Why would this guy think he should be exempt when we're talking about the publics money? Just another piece of our government run amuck.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Big Zipper wrote...
    and...
    February 21, 2013 6:11 am
    why does this clown think I should pay for his wine opener anyway? Imagine if I turned that in to my boss and then laid on my back and kicked my legs if I was challenged....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rikki Doxx wrote...
    Wine Opener?
    February 21, 2013 4:32 pm
    Dang, let him buy a screw top or box wine. Did he charge for the wine too? Bet so.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Steebie wrote...
    Maybe the expenses are legitimate
    February 21, 2013 6:11 am
    Maybe the corkscrew and pillow case are for interrogations, Abu Ghraib style! The toilet paper if for getting through all of the excrement that has piled up, and the furniture was smashed during one of these interview sessions. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Why should a guy being paid $500K/year have to buy his own furniture?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jstumbo wrote...
    he should be immediately removed.
    February 21, 2013 6:27 am
    Making a threat that if the city questions his expenses he might give them a bad report to the doj is wrong. His judgement and report cannot be trusted.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Annie (1) wrote...
    Blackmail?
    February 21, 2013 6:49 am
    Absolutely agree jstumbo--sounds a lot like blackmail.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rikki Doxx wrote...
    Seems Like Blackmail To Me
    February 21, 2013 4:33 pm
    That's a blackmail threat the way I see it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gomariners wrote...
    Consultants
    February 21, 2013 6:50 am
    I had to review bills from consultants in my previous gov job and they were always crooks. Billing for time they weren't here, rounding up, expensive hotels, last min flights - that should not have been last minute. Hopefully Seattle won't cave but sure sounds as though they already are. Thankfully I have a real job now.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }