EDC District Attorney's office looking into allegations made in South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler has asked the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office to look into allegations made by Councilwoman Brooke Laine in her opinion piece published on South Tahoe Now on April 15.

Uhler was asked by acting city manager, Fire Chief Jeff Meston to look into the content of Laine's disclosures. "I asked for that [the investigation] to occur to ensure transparency under my authority as City Manager," said Meston.

In a letter to DA Vern Pierson, Uhler outlined his analysis.

"In my experience, those with a sense of civic responsibility routinely report violations of the law to proper authorities as opposed to publicly 'reporting' on the internet," Uhler said in his letter. "Since this does not appear to be the case here, I ask you to initiate an investigation into any/all aspects you deem best."

Due to the type of allegations, and that they concern City actions and activities, Uhler told Pierson he felt it best to have an investigation outside of the City.

"Since Laine's public actions have undoubtedly caused some in the public to feel less secure in their government, I ask you to expedite your investigatory efforts and publicly report, to the fullest extent possible, outcomes or findings in an effort to restore confidence in the government of the City of South Lake Tahoe," said Uhler to Pierson.

An investigator with the DA's office was present during Tuesday's City Council meeting to observe and start his investigation.

Uhler's analysis and direction to the investigator (on her letter here):
Paragraph One: Laine said she could no longer be party to the violations of law. This is an admission that she participated in breaking the law and nothing has previously been reported to SLTPD. An inquiry into the specific law violations would be a good starting point of an investigation.

Paragraph Two: Reach out to Laine about a contract she saw Brown Act violations with, including with City Attorney Nira Dougherty. Reach out to Dougherty as well.

Paragraph Three: No facts provided concerning personal attacks and multiple violations of law. Reach out to Laine as to what she meant.

Paragraph Four: Get a video of the March 6 and March 20 meetings and read minutes to see what Laine is referring to. Councilmembers always have time to review and correct minutes publicly.

Paragraph Five: Laine conceals any specific descriptions of incidents or identify those involved. Look into the accusations of violation of the Brown Act by seeking clarity from her. Take action to the fullest extent of the law if violations are confirmed.

Paragraph Six: If true, extremely serious. SLTPD has never received a complaint of this nature. Investigate and prosecute if found to be true.

Paragraph Seven: Responsible people report crimes. We expect people that hold public office to report violations of the law.