Aki Stant defends Marty McDonald, accuses city council

[Aki Stant addressed the city council last night, Tuesday, Feb. 1. This is the text of his speech.]

Aloha. I moved to the City of Maricopa in 2005. I have been involved in public safety here in Maricopa, first as a member of the Public Safety Committee, and then as an employee of the police department.

This morning I read through the Council Meeting Agenda and noticed item 10.3 under executive session. Given your plan to discuss the litigation involving Marty McDonald, I felt prompted to share a few of my related thoughts with the council and the citizens of Maricopa.

I have spent several hours over the last several months attending hearings and researching documents related to the case involving Mr. McDonald. I am expressing my rights and responsibilities as an interested and informed citizen of Maricopa in speaking to you. As you know, last week I sent each of you an e-mail message, imploring you to do everything within your power to stop the unjust attacks against Mr. McDonald and his family. Tonight I would share with you some of the information that supports my position that Marty McDonald has been treated unjustly by the city.

On May 7, 2010, Chandler police detectives arrested Marty McDonald for forgery and felony theft. The lead detective wrote in his report that the alleged victim, the Friends of the Library, requested the investigation. However, in the first paragraph of the report, the detective wrote that in February 2010, three months earlier, an “inquiry” was sent from the city’s director of financial services about a possible theft by Mr. McDonald. If in fact the Friends of the Library suspected illegal activity, it should have been the police department, not the finance department that got involved. There was never a need for the city’s director of financial services to involve herself in a criminal “inquiry.”

Likewise, there was never a need for city management personnel to call a meeting with board members of the Friends of the Library, and the Chandler detective, in March of 2010; which was just two months before Mr. McDonald was arrested and one month after the city’s financial services director sent the inquiry to the Chandler detective. It was grossly inappropriate for city of Maricopa officials to tell the Friends of the Library board members that the city could not move forward with criminal charges because the city was not the victim. It was just as improper to threaten the board members that a failure to file a criminal report against Mr. McDonald would not look good for the Friends of the Library.

In a response to the e-mail I sent the council last week regarding the criminal charges against Mr. McDonald, the City Attorney responded and wrote, “The City, its Council and the Administration has not and will not interfere or influence that type of investigation. The City Administration involvement has been only to provide information requested by the agency investigating the matter.”

The information found in the available documentation clearly disagrees with the city. Not only has the city interfered and imposed its influence on the Friends of the Library, but also misled investigators and possibly destroyed evidence; the latest example being the removal of the service stickers from one of the mini goals – which, by the way, do exist, were shipped to the City in 2008 and were used in a basketball practice at Saddleback Elementary yesterday.

Unfortunately, it appears that the City Council is content to allow the commission of ugly indiscretions and potential crimes by its officials. It is only a matter of time before Marty McDonald proves in court that he was unjustly and unnecessarily charged and indicted. He will also prove that the city has played a major role in the attacks against him.

The city has access to all of the documentation needed to lead a reasonable person to the truth. I am simply asking that this Council be reasonable. Take control of the leadership of this city and ask the right questions, find the right answers, hold the right people accountable and do the right thing!

Editor’s Note: Aki Stant is a former city of Maricopa police officer who was dismissed from the force for failing to cooperate with an internal investigation. He has filed a $1.5 million claim against the city for wrongful termination. See that story here: Former Maricopa Police Sgt. Aki Stant files $1.5 million claim against city

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