Tulsa Mayor Bartlett's Attorney Asks Council Attorney to Resign

By Emory Bryan, The News on 6

TULSA, OK -- Mayor Dewey Bartlett's attorney has asked the City Council's Attorney to resign, claiming his position violates the city charter, and his advice conflicts with a letter of recusal from the City Attorney's office.

Attorney Joel Wohlgemuth, representing Bartlett, sent a letter asking for the resignation to Attorney Drew Rees. The letter was sent Wednesday, one day after Rees lost a primary race for Tulsa County Commissioner.

Read the Letter

Wohlgemuth argues in his letter that the position in which Rees is serving was never created in the city charter, and since the City Attorney's office recused itself from a case against the Mayor and Council, Rees, as an attorney under that office, should be recused as well.

7/21/2010 Related Story: Tulsa City Council To Pursue Ethics Inquiry Against Mayor

Rees serves as attorney for the council as a whole. The individual councilors have private representation defending them in a lawsuit over a possible open meetings act violation.

Thursday afternoon, the City Council plans to discuss possible action against Bartlett and Terry Simonson, his Chief of Staff, as a result of an investigation into whether the Mayor's office intentionally mislead the Council about a federal grant for the police department.

Rees was not available immediately for comment.