PROMINENT LAWYER: Targets city council candidates

COLUMBIA, 3/14/10  (Beat Byte) -- A prominent Columbia lawyer and one-time mayoral candidate hopeful is taking center stage in an opposition effort to target city council and mayoral candidates.

In a 14-point Sunshine Law document request, Rogers, Ehrhardt, and Weber partner Glen R. Ehrhardt (left) -- who earlier signed on to a Facebook-driven effort to recruit him as a candidate for Columbia mayor -- wants over a decade's worth of documents from Third Ward councilman Karl Skala, who is seeking re-election in April.

Among the requests:  Any and all emails to or from Skala during his tenure on the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission; any and all emails or written correspondence between Skala and city staffers; any and all travel requests and expense reimbursements.

"Bill, I recognize that some of these requests are overlapping and that some may take more time to respond to than others," Ehrhardt (above, left) writes in a February 19 letter to city manager Bill Watkins.  "As this request is being made on behalf of a citizen of of Columbia and as it relates to a publicly-elected official, request is hereby made that any fees or other costs be waived."

Skala (right, Missourian photo) tells the Heart Beat he had been working on the document request while resisting the temptation toward cynicism: That his opponents were merely trying to tie up his time and resources.

But Skala's attitude changed after Ehrhardt mass-forwarded an email from Inside Columbia magazine publisher Fred Parry urging local business people to vote out "some members of the city council" who have "repeatedly expressed anti-business sentiments" during votes on such projects as the Landmark Hospital and Maguire Blvd. extension, both of which Skala voted against.

From: Glen R. Ehrhardt [mailto:gehrhardt@.....]

Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 8:32 AM

To: Roughly 50 people, including Boone County sheriff Dwayne Carey;

former statehouse candidate and business owner Kat Cunningham;

REDI honcho Bob Black; attorney Matt Darrough; developer David Atkins; and former statehouse journalist Scott Charton  

Subject:  Please Read -- Important information on Upcoming City Council Elections

Everyone,

Please take the time to read Fred Parry’s email below and to share with your employees, friends and others.  This election is very important to the future of our community and EVERY VOTE WILL MATTER!!!

Glen R. Ehrhardt

Rogers, Ehrhardt & Weber, L.L.C.

(See next article below for Parry email details). 

RELATED:   Sunshine Law requests and Council travel budgets

2 comments:

1. 
   AnonymousMarch 15, 2010 at 8:19 AM

   "See next article below for Parry email details"
   
   Where is it? Please post!

   Reply
    
    
2. 
   AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 6:36 AM

   Now we all know. This request was made for the sole purpose of campaign smears and nasty politicking. Mr. Ehrhardt was willing to take hours of the City Clerk's staff time to pursue a political agenda - talk about wastefulness.