Abilene Mayor and City Council Under Fire for Leaked Confidential Information

ABILENE, TX -- Abilene's Mayor and City Council are under fire for information allegedly leaked in an email to KTXS about confidential information detailing severance packages for the city's former Zoo Director and Animal Services Director. 

KTXS is reporting that Abilene City Attorney Stanley Smith asked Mayor Anthony Williams and every council member to sign an affidavit swearing they didn't leak an email to KTXS that included detailed information about the severance packages paid to former Zoo Director Bill Gersonde and former Animal Services Director Mirenda Walden.

The former Abilene Zoo Director and ex-Animal Services Director were given more than $68,000 to leave the city.

That is the combined amount of the severance packages for Bill Gersonde and Mirenda Walden.

KTXS obtained a copy of an internal email written by City Manager Robert Hanna to Mayor Anthony Williams and the city council.

According to the email, former Zoo Director Bill Gersonde and former Animal Services Director Mirenda Walden were "released of all claims and liabilities against the city."

KTXS had filed a Freedom of Information Act request for information about the severance packages.  

While the media outlet was waiting on the information, KTXS obtained an email between City Manager Robert Hanna and Mayor Williams.  In that email, Hanna allegedly alerted the Mayor that KTXS would be getting information about the severance packages.  

After KTXS aired the story, City Attorney Smith contacted the Mayor and all six city council members asking them if they leaked the email.

Here's where it gets interesting. 

Everyone denied leaking the email to KTXS.  So, Smith has now asked the Mayor and city council members to sign an affidavit saying they did not leak the email. 

"I have signed an affidavit saying it wasn't me," Williams said. "I think it is appropriate for each of us to do so. Everyone who was involved said they didn't send it. I think it is very, very appropriate to put pen to paper and say that."

Where it stands now is that City Attorney Smith issued a statement to KTXS saying they would have no more comment on the matter until the City Council can meet in executive session to discuss the matter on Jan. 10.