The latest at KPBS is that an intern for Mayor Bob Filner says he witnessed the mayor’s inappropriate behavior, while also expressing his concern with a member of the security detail. He claims the police officer responded with, “…this is the hardest part of my job, watching him do this.”
Just like the members of the secret service who faced a dilemma over discussing President Bill Clinton’s flings, we have a similar situation in San Diego.
Yet, the unwritten code of silence in Washington D.C. that may have protected Clinton as well as Congressman Filner for several years, it means nothing now.
The cops work for the citizens of San Diego, they’re not personal enablers for a 70-year-old four-year-old. They know that already.
The question is will they be protected from some possible peer-driven code that says, “It’s our job to protect, not our job to discuss the personal behavior of those we protect.”
No doubt, there has been much discussion of these things in the ranks of the San Diego Police Department.
Chief William Lansdowne needs to let his officers know that he expects full and true disclosure of anything they have seen, while making it very clear that truth speakers will be protected.
Comments 3
It would be great for the security detail cops to finally come clean about Filner’s behavior, but that may present them with a dilemma. If they do now, are not they remiss for not having come forward long ago?
They may not have a choice. Former Filner intern (male) has filed a legal statement claiming security detail knew about and witnessed harassment. I expect they will be deposed at some point. And I imagine they’ll want attorneys — and they’ll want the taxpayers to pay for those attorneys.
Someone should sue Filner for the $22,000 his Paris trip cost as he was not on city business. The Non-profit Iranian terrorist organization (was so listed for a dozen years or more) should be sued also. Lastly, Lansdowne should be sued for misappropriation of city funds for providing protection to Filner on a trip that had nothing to do with city business.