In knew when I started this investigation it would be a document review nightmare for an Investigative Reporter and trust me it is, even though I haven’t yet submitted a Public Records Request for the records relating to the Human Resources and EEOC complaints against Mayor Condon’s Director of Human Resources Christine Cavanaugh.

I thought I better start out by providing some background information so in the future I can just refer to this story.

Let me start out by responding to a question I received regarding the ethics of hiring Lawyer Erin Jacobson to do HR Investigations and HR Training after she left City employment and started working for Archbright.  

IMO, although the Ethics Code written by former City Attorney Nancy Isserlis didn’t go into effect Sunday, December 18, 2016 because Erin Jacobson was a “central figure” in the million plus dollar Cotton/Straub case, a person with decent ethical standards never would have hired her for much of anything involving City of Spokane issues, especially when you consider all of the negative press Jacobson and the City were getting.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/apr/14/key-figure-in-police-chief-harassment-controversy-/

https://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2016/04/14/assistant-city-attorney-erin-jacobson-resigns-heres-the-messy-role-she-had-in-the-straub-investigation

https://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2016/05/23/city-attorney-nancy-isserlis-is-leaving-her-job-at-the-city-of-spokane

Even with all of the bad press about Jacobson, including her refusal to cooperate with the Cappel Investigation what does Teresa Sanders, Mayor Condon’s City Administrator, do to keep Jacobson in the fold? Teresa Sanders, as the documents linked below clearly demonstrate has a letter prepared to send to the Ethics Commission just after the bad press hits the news so Jacobson an continue to get that good old City Money (Timelines are always important in cases like this).

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Af685d675-7dc3-4554-b324-04ccaa5e5e2e

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ab4eabcf5-d406-419c-8364-8bc36b3bbdb4

To give you some idea of Erin Jacobson’s handling of the Cotton/Straub case you might want to read the statement Heather Lowe, Mayor Condon’s former Director of City HR, made to Investigator Cappel.

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Abd2c8fd9-95db-44db-8fc0-f78b4f35d44b

Some news stories regarding Heather Lowe:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/jun/07/spokanes-human-resources-director-leaving-city/

https://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2016/06/07/this-time-its-human-resources-director-heather-lowe-resigning

As an aside, back in the day I used to love finding emails like this one sent by Heather Lowe trying to shape other HR Investigations regarding

As it stands at this point it sure appears to me that nothing has changed since Christine Cavanaugh took over Heather Lowe’s spot in the Condon Administration, we still have Erin Jacobson involved even to the point of representing the City in EEOC Complaints involving Cavanaugh, and of course Mr. Reliable… Bob Dunn chomping at the bit!   

https://www.inlander.com/spokane/hostile-and-intimidating/Content?oid=2691128

I REPORT YOU DECIDE!!!