Oakland’s prime bureaucrat give up in shame over his personal messages stuffed with sexually suggestive feedback about feminine colleagues, Mayor Barbara Lee introduced on Could 17, who offered it as a fast parting of the way between him and town.
The reality?
Former metropolis administrator Jestin Johnson remained on town’s payroll up till two weeks in the past on July 15 — and bought paid a good-looking $160,272 after his supposed Could departure, The California Submit has discovered.
Johnson had abruptly resigned after textual content messages got here to mild allegedly discussing feminine staff in crude phrases a number of occasions. In a single 2024 trade, Johnson advised a subordinate he needed to management himself round a high-ranking feminine metropolis official.
“I’m telling you, you need to sit subsequent to her,” he wrote. “I’ve to drive myself to solely look in her eyes. She had me a little bit giddy yesterday after we needed to take pics.”
In one other message, Johnson referred to a feminine staffer as his “kryptonite.”
“My goodness, [she] has a helluva stroll,” he wrote.
Lee mentioned she was livid when she came upon in regards to the pervy texts, saying in a press release again in Could that “beneath my watch, I cannot tolerate transgressions of this nature.”
She instantly appointed an appearing metropolis administrator as a sign to the general public that Oakland was making a clear break with Johnson. Johnson reportedly provided his resignation and Lee accepted, after an investigation into the communications was opened.
Nonetheless, The California Submit obtained a duplicate of Johnson’s Could 16 resignation electronic mail, which states his resignation will likely be “efficient” on July 15.
“This resolution was not made evenly, and I’m dedicated to making sure a easy and thorough transition throughout this era,” Johnson mentioned within the electronic mail. “Please let me know the way I can greatest assist the transition over the approaching weeks.”
The California Submit then filed a data request to town’s payroll division, who confirmed to The Submit his ultimate day was certainly July 15.
In line with the data, the “further” practically $160,000 he was paid after Could 16 included $1,500 in an “car allowance,” sometimes given to high-level officers for official native journey.
Greater than $66,000 was attributed to “administrative depart.” A lot of the remainder appeared associated to trip days, sick days, and holidays taken or paid out. Simply $4,700 was paid for normal earnings after Could 16.
Such cash isn’t insignificant, contemplating Oakland has been caught in a extreme finances disaster.
The California Submit reached out to Oakland’s public data officer, who didn’t reply.
The mayor’s workplace referred The Submit to her previous Could assertion and didn’t reply questions on why she offered Johnson’s departure as a clear break. The Submit additionally reached out a number of occasions to Johnson’s quantity however didn’t hear again.
The revelation comes amid discussions by one metropolis councilmember to provide Johnson much more cash.
Johnson might obtain a $409,737 severance package deal beneath a proposal floated by Oakland Metropolis Councilmember Ken Houston.
The proposal, which Houston has promised to convey forth later this yr, would require Johnson to surrender any future authorized claims towards town in trade for the payout. It has already sparked backlash by many on social media as an indication of town’s misplaced spending priorities.
Houston argued that as a result of Johnson was “compelled to resign,” town might be susceptible to a pricey lawsuit.
“I’m a enterprise individual, I’m proactive,” Houston mentioned. “If he sues, which I might do if I used to be in his place, it should price town.”
