Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II is by far Richmond’s highest-earning employee, taking home $365,000 per year. The right-hand man to Mayor Danny Avula for the last five months, Donald oversees the day-to-day functions of local government, serving as the top of the totem pole for City Hall’s many departments and making critical personnel and operational decisions. He also doesn’t take interviews from the press — at least, not right now. …Mira Signer, a spokesperson for Avula, on Dec. 2 said the disinterest is due to the fact that Donald is in “heads-down mode” and “isn’t super inclined to take on much media just yet.” … Asked whether the Avula administration considers contact with the media to be a part of the CAO’s job description, a city spokesperson said, “Mr. Donald is focused on executing Mayor Danny Avula’s vision for a thriving Richmond.”
The Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission took the unusual step Monday of increasing a fine imposed on former Public Utility Regulatory Authority Chairman Marissa Gillett to $2,500 for what it described as an inadequate response to an industry request for records of authority policies and decisions. A week ago, the commission hearing officer recommended a $1,000 fine in a proposed decision based on a series of evidentiary hearings. The full commission voted unanimously to more than double the penalty after hearing final arguments Wednesday afternoon. “This organization was rotten inside and the way they tried to hide it was by violating the Freedom of Information laws,” Attorney Thomas Murphy, who represents Eversource, who brought the complaint, said.
The Navy quietly disciplined 18 Navy SEALs earlier this year after military investigators found a private group chat that contained racist memes targeting a Black SEAL who was also in the chat, according to documents and a Naval Special Warfare spokesperson. Using the Freedom of Information Act, CBS News obtained the Navy’s investigation into members of SEAL Team Four, along with years of the unit’s internal surveys, which give naval officers insight into the culture, morale and effectiveness. The investigation and other records show racial harassment towards one of the team’s own members inside a force that prides itself on unit cohesion and honor—prompting action from the top commander.
