Tulsa City Council To Investigate Accusations Against Mayor's Chief Of Staff

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- Here's the latest on a controversy over the use of federal grant money to rehire Tulsa police officers.

The city council plans to investigate a claim made by three Tulsa deputy police chiefs who say the mayor's office knew all along officers did not have to be laid off, before being rehired. 

"The accusations made by the deputy chiefs go to the integrity of a city employee, and in this case, the mayor's chief of staff, and in that sense, it does matter," said Rick Westcott, Tulsa City Councilor.

The Mayor's Chief of Staff is Terry Simonson.

Thirty-five officers were rehired with grant money after a month off the job and after the city paid out severance. 

The city council plans an executive session Thursday to discuss the investigation in private.

3/10/2010  Related Story: Tulsa Releases More Email About JAG Grant