DAVENPORT, Iowa — The City of Davenport says it has a demand letter from former City Administrator Corri Spiegel that led to a $1.6 million separation agreement between Spiegel and the City. The statement comes after an email thread was released to the public alleging the letter never existed.
Here is the City's full statement:
"Over the weekend, several local media outlets have reported on the status of the City's open records litigation regarding former Davenport City Administrator, Corri Spiegel's demand letter. The reports have asserted that the letter may never have existed and that Ms. Spiegel may have never made any demands on the City. Several months ago, and prior to filing the initial proceeding, the City did located [sic] a copy of Ms. Spiegel's demand letter and confirmed that a demand existed. The City will provide a copy of the letter to the court for its review if ordered by the court."
Back in November, the City revealed the agreement, citing lost wages and "emotional pain and suffering" stemming from allegations of harassment made against former Seventh Ward Alderman Derek Cornette and others who have not been named as the reason for the $1.6 million payout. Media outlets and Davenport residents have sent FOIA requests to obtain Spiegel's demand letter to the City.
In the email thread between the City's outside legal counsel and Spiegel, Spiegel is asked if she has any documents relating to her request for the settlement.
"I note that the City cannot locate a copy of your written settlement request," Brett Marshall with Lane and Waterman LLP said in the thread. Marshall initially sent the email to Spiegel due to an open records request made for the document.
Spiegel responded that she possessed "no texts responsive to this request, nor did any ever exist."
Dr. David Ezra Sidran is one of the Davenport residents who sent in a FOIA request for this document. The City has since filed suit against Sidran and is seeking a declaratory judgment on the matter, or in other words, it wants the court to determine whether the City is required to release the letter under Iowa's open records laws or if it is classified as a confidential record. The City says Sidran is listed as a defendant in this case due to his records request for the documentation.
Sidran said he is filing a motion for sanctions against the City as he believes they are suing him over a document that allegedly doesn't exist.
Email thread between Spiegel and the City's legal counsel
Spiegel settlement background
On Nov. 16, the City announced that Spiegel was leaving her position with the City. Just days later on Nov. 22, 2023, the City sent out a news release disclosing that Spiegel and the City had come to a $1.6 million settlement agreement for lost wages and "emotional pain and suffering" back on Oct. 6.
Though the agreement was settled on Oct. 6, the City did not disclose the settlement agreement until after the November municipal elections. Ever since the agreement was disclosed, several government officials and community members have expressed concern that the City may have violated Iowa's open records law by keeping the settlement process a secret.
In January, News 8 learned that Spiegel's settlement agreement and settlement agreements with two other former City employees were being investigated by Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand. The City of Davenport filed a motion to block the auditor from listening to recordings of the closed meetings.
Iowa state legislators held a government oversight hearing in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 27 to determine whether city leaders violated Iowa's open records law. Michael Meloy, the attorney for a resident suing the City over the matter, Dr. Allen Diercks, requested that the committee investigate the matter.
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