It is my duty to correct the assertion by Assembly member Tom Morphet in his paid commentary (April 26, page 6) that the story of a citizens’ criminal complaint against four Assembly members “has never been adequately explained.”
In fact, a file held by the Haines Police Department contains the citizens’ complaint against four Assembly members for failing to seat a citizen nominated to a committee, a letter addressed to the District Attorney from Chief Scott requesting that the DA produce a letter of declination (meaning: decline to prosecute), and the DA’s letter of declination.
Chief Scott was professionally obligated to act. Following a preliminary investigation, he did not request prosecution. Rather, he requested the DA to take his time to clarify the weakness of the complaint; its validity was too obscure.
I recognize the drive to put the impetus for the recall on Chief Scott because he was a friend to an unpopular Manager. But that drive should not blind us to the possibility that Chief Scott conducted the inquiry as he was professionally trained to do, and exercised sound judgment in requesting that it not be elevated but put to rest.
Debra Schnabel
Borough Manager