Granato cleared in investigation of alleged retaliation

YAKIMA, Wash. -- An insurance investigator found no evidence that Yakima police Chief Sam Granato threatened to retaliate against a young officer who supported the re-election campaign of Mayor Micah Cawley, according to a report released late Wednesday by City Manager Dick Zais.

In a news conference Wednesday at City Hall, Zais said he was satisfied that Granato neither threatened to retaliate against Officer Jim Moore nor had a motive to do so.

“The chief denied that very clearly and very directly,” Zais said, adding he would take no disciplinary action against Granato. Zais briefed the City Council about his decision Tuesday and met with union representatives Wednesday before briefing the media.

Though expected, the decision did not sit well with spokesmen for the two unions that represent Yakima police officers and command staff, which demanded the investigation. They questioned the independence of the investigation and said they were not surprised by the findings.

“I don’t think they wanted (the investigator) to find anything,” said Wayne Johnson of the Teamsters, which represents the police department’s command staff.

“The insurance company has a final stake in the claims,” said Jim Cline, a Seattle lawyer who represents the Yakima Police Patrolman’s Association, concluding, “I think it is a risk management document.”

The investigation was launched in February and was the latest in a long line of union grievances and lawsuits that have enveloped the police department since Granato became chief in 2003.

It has since been superseded by personnel action against Capt. Rod Light, a high-ranking commander who was placed on paid administrative leave last month pending an investigation into his affairs with female subordinates.

Light was also the subject of a second complaint by the Teamsters, alleging Granato made negative comments about Light that created a hostile work environment for the captain.

However, the insurance investigator concluded Granato was well within his management right to make such comments.

The more serious campaign threat revolved around a chance encounter in mid-December between Granato and Moore that was witnessed by John Moon, a retired police sergeant.

Union officials said Moon told them about the encounter over coffee, alleging Granato made a remark after the encounter that was an obvious threat to Moore for his active role in Cawley’s re-election campaign.

Cawley has publicly stated Granato should step down and recently squabbled with the chief over a crime analyst position in the police department.

The insurance investigator, former Grant County sheriff’s deputy Jeff Wade, said Moon denied using the term “payback” but was under the impression Granato was unhappy with Moore’s support for Cawley.

Wade wrote in his report, “The Chief made a comment about Ofc. Moore, supporting the Mayor and helping with his campaign. This comment led Mr. Moon to believe the Chief was not in favor of it.

“However, Mr. Moon advised that the formal complaint filed regarding this comment was not accurate as to what Chief Granato actually said at the time.”

Wade’s characterization of Moon’s statement jibes with Moon’s earlier statement to the Yakima Herald-Republic about the encounter.

In an interview, Moon said he was talking with the chief when they encountered Moore seated in a patrol car. Moon said Granato briefly spoke to Moore, then made a glib comment as he walked away that sounded “a little off.” The remark, Moon said, was “something to the effect of, ‘That young man was instrumental in Cawley getting re-elected. ... And I’ll have to remember that.’”

Wade, the insurance investigator, said Granato told him he doesn’t remem-ber the encounter but has no animosity for Moore.

However, the report does not specifically address the chief’s thoughts about his alleged threat against officer. Instead, the report said Granato expressed concern that the city’s policies on political activism by employees may

be outdated and that offi-cers who had campaigned for him in a previous position in Texas had gotten into trouble for it.

“The chief advised he has concerns regarding officers that actively get involved in politics or campaigns because the potential for trouble is great,” Wade reported.

In his news conference late Wednesday, Zais said he shared Granato’s concerns about political activism by city employees and plans to seek clearer policies that take into account any new legal rules or guidelines.

“To me, that’s an important thing to do,” he said. “We need some better guidance to our employees.”

Zais did not suggest that Moore had done anything wrong. Instead, he cited complaints last fall that city Parks and Rec employees had been inappropriately removing political campaign signs from public places like parks and roadside medians.

“They didn’t cherry pick, so that’s a good thing,” Zais laughed. “They took ‘em all.”

Zais also stressed that Wade’s report found no motive on Granato’s part to threaten to retaliate for supporting Cawley.

In his report, Wade said he interviewed Cawley and that the mayor claimed his relationship with Granato is not as close as it once was — due in part to the way the city handled a sexual harassment claim against the chief last year — but remains “professional.”

Even so, Cawley told the investigator he was loudly booed by Granato’s wife at the St. Joseph’s crab feed in February.

The report, however, ignored Cawley’s recent squabble with Granato over the crime analyst position. Nor did it address Cawley’s public comments during his re-election campaign last fall that Granato should step down.

Asked why, Zais noted that Cawley himself apparently failed or declined to reference friction with the chief.

“The mayor gave his comments, and this is what is in here,” Zais said, referring to the report.

• Chris Bristol can be reached at 577-7748 or cbristol@yakimaherald.com.