Robert Lee's City Attorney Responds to Theft Controversy

ROBERT LEE, TX — The attorney for the city of Robert Lee issued a statement regarding comments made by the former city secretary.

Jeff Betty is the attorney for the city of Robert Lee.

In an article in the Robert Lee Observer-Enterprise, “Crystal Blevins requested to discuss their decision to fire her if she did not resign, they refused and moved onto other agenda items.”

Betty said in a letter, “While I realize Ms. Blevins emotions were running high, there seems to have been some confusion as to the law and the actions of the council.  She surely knows but it is understandable that others may not know that deliberations in executive session are not only confidential but also are just that, deliberations.  While I cannot divulge the true nature of the discussion had during the executive session unless called upon to testify in court, I can say that only an action taken during open session after a motion and a second and vote of the council is binding.  It is no great feat then to understand that the council could not haver and did not reach a ‘decision to fire’ as the article states.  The general public is not expected to understand this, but it behooves Ms. Blevins and us to explain when we can.”

As we reported earlier, The mayor of the city of Robert Lee has been arrested on charges of theft. 

According to an affidavit and arrest warrant from the Coke County Sheriff's Office, Allyson Leigh Crenshaw, 40, is accused of using a city credit card to steal between $750 and $2,500 from the city of Robert Lee.  A letter from Mayor Pro Tem Roger Alexander to the Editor of The Observer/Enterprise in Coke County was published in the Feb. 8, 2019 publication. It accused Mayor Allyson Crenshaw, Ph D, of using $109,431.01 of funds belonging to the city for personal expenses. An anonymous source also accused Crenshaw of misappropriating City funds.

No suspects have officially been named by the Coke County Sheriff's Office.

"The new mayor was living off the city credit cards ... and is now being investigated for theft," the source accused, before adding they believed Crenshaw was selling items like the city safe.

Betty continued, “Communication between the council and their city secretary, or any other employee, regarding their employment is and should be confidential.  Once Ms. Blevins decided to discuss their discussions with members of the public you were certainly under no duty to keep them out of your paper, but it is nevertheless important that the actual events be reported accurately.”

Blevins was hired by the City of Robert Lee in June 2018 to much fanfare on social media from Mayor Crenshaw. "I am incredibly grateful and The City of Robert Lee is incredibly blessed to have her," the mayor said, as she told Robert Lee residents that Blevins was assuming Facebook page administrative duties.