Report courtesy of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson

By Michael Reeve

CODE OF CONDUCT

‘False allegations and innuendos’; Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson defends his position on Code of Conduct report

Apr 5, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Last spring, an investigation was launched into alleged Code of Conduct violations by Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson stemming from complaints from four separate employees.

The 67-page report, authored by Terry Honcharuk of the Integrity Group and dated May 31, 2023, finds the mayor was in violation of the code of conduct on 12 occasions against three of the four complainants.

Report courtesy of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson

CFJC News has chosen to keep their identities anonymous.

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“It’s terrible that somebody can make accusations. I can see why they didn’t want me to get this, I can see why they didn’t want the public to get it. Because, like I said, I can prove now that the allegations are false allegations and innuendos,” said Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson before he handed the report over to CFJC Today.

The mayor had the option to prove his innocence during the investigation but chose not to participate.

“The investigator said that he was going to do his interview with [a staffer] and he was going to send me the allegations but he never has. And that is why I want to know what the allegations are, and it’s been over a year now and he never did give me the allegations and, like I said, now that I see the allegations I can defend myself,” said Hamer-Jackson.

That claim by the mayor is refuted in the report, which provides a number of emails between the investigator, the mayor and his lawyer, stating clearly that the mayor would be able to hear all allegations against him if and when he decided to schedule an interview and take part in the investigation.

Report courtesy of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson

Report courtesy of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson

“If they would have stuck to the first report that they did in here [that] the majority of staff talked to, it wouldn’t be costing the taxpayers today a whack of money. I guarantee that report is going to cost a ton of money along with the ton of Code of Conduct complaints,” said Hamer-Jackson.

While that first issue, stemming for a verbal altercation with a councillor in his office, was investigated in-house and proven to not be a breach of the Code of Conduct, the other 12 substantiated claims against the mayor were forwarded to the third-party investigator.

Report courtesy of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson

Now that the mayor has seen the allegations against him, stating the unredacted report was left for him in his mailbox earlier this week, he plans to now defend himself and has sent the report to his lawyers.

“It’s usually defense. I wanted to get it out there,” said Hamer-Jackson. “I’ve asked for city hall, I’ve asked the media people who did leak it, I’ve asked councillor to release it, our corporate officer. It’s very clear that I have been looking for this. I’ve been asking what I did since February of 2023.”

The report is routinely described as privileged and confidential. And while the mayor say he doesn’t know who gave it to him, he felt it was right to share it with the public.

“I don’t know where it is going to go from here, but again at least now we are getting it out to the public so that you know, not just specific media people, you know whoever leaked it,” said Hamer-Jackson. “I think it’s going to help to get to that point because we have to stop this leaking going on. I received this in the mail and I have no problem with sharing it with the community.”

CFJC News did reach out to acting CAO Byron McCorkell, Deputy Mayor Bill Sarai and the Integrity Group, for comment on the report. All parties declined to be interviewed.