It has been several months since the city acknowledged it would be spending about $50,000 a month at least through the summer months for lawyer’s fees connected with the US Attorney’s Office US Justice Department probe into racism and discrimination in Everett.
The people of Everett should be informed about where this probe is at.
Has the probe turned into an investigation?
Are city officials being investigated or questioned?
Have Everett government officials been called before a grand jury, and on and on.
More importantly, is anything at all ongoing with this probe or is it finished and done, with no action of any kind to be taken?
We understand that the probe remains under a cloak of secrecy because of the legal nature of the thing itself.
Confidentiality is generally the basis by which most such probes are conducted.
Protecting lawyer client privilege above all is one of the pillars of such a probe.
Just the same, it would be nice to be given some insight, what- ever is possible under the rules of engagement, to understand where this probe is going, if anywhere.
The city has already spent more than $1 million in legal fees to pay for its representation.
The people should know what exactly those fees have bought, if anything, and what exactly is going on, if anything, and where this probe is heading, if anywhere.