香港三级片

ST. LOUIS 鈥� The 2016 version of Tishaura O. Jones would have liked something Ronald Norwood said on Friday morning.

Norwood, an attorney at the Lewis Rice law firm, represents Sonya Jenkins-Gray, who is Jones鈥� personnel director 鈥� for now.

Jones appointed Jenkins-Gray to the job two years ago but is now trying to fire her. In a hearing before St. 香港三级片 Circuit Judge Joan Moriarty on Friday, Norwood argued that Jenkins-Gray is being fired for the personal use of a city vehicle.

In July, she had an employee drive her in the car to Jefferson City for personal business. The city hinted in court Friday that the personal business was of a 鈥渧ery troubling鈥� nature. Whatever it was, Jenkins-Gray reimbursed the city $170 for mileage once the improper use of the vehicle became public.

Nobody in the city has ever been disciplined, let alone fired, over the use of a city vehicle for personal reasons, Norwood argued.

鈥淲ith all the problems that plague the city, why are we here today?鈥� he asked.

Later, he answered his own question. It鈥檚 a power play by the mayor, Norwood argued.

The mayor knows a thing or two about power plays to avoid questions on the personal use of a city car. That鈥檚 what she did in an interview in 2016 with Fox 2鈥檚 Elliott Davis.

was about the use of take-home cars by public officials. A year earlier, the Post-Dispatch had reported on a city ordinance allowing most elected officials to have a take-home car and free gas, at taxpayer expense, even if they used the car for personal matters. Most of the officials eventually gave up the perk. Davis, known for his 鈥淵ou Paid For It鈥� series, wanted to ask Jones, then the city treasurer, why she had decided to keep hers.

鈥淚sn鈥檛 this a perk whose time has come to go?鈥� Davis asked.

鈥淚 have the use of a vehicle issued by the parking division,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 pay taxes for personal use of that vehicle.鈥�

Davis asked four different versions of the same question and got four nearly identical answers from Jones.

鈥淭his interview is over,鈥� she finally said before walking away while the camera rolled.

It was a power play. Based on election results, it worked. She was reelected to the treasurer鈥檚 office in 2016 and 2020 and then elected mayor in 2021.

Jones is now running for reelection as mayor, and she鈥檚 facing some personnel issues that are not entirely unrelated.

Last month, Jones鈥� appointed director for the City Justice Center, Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, abruptly left the post after years of controversy and more than a dozen jail deaths. Among the director鈥檚 chief critics was a local activist, the Rev. Darryl Gray, whom Jones appointed to head the Detention Facilities Oversight Board. Gray long ago called for Clemons-Abdullah to go, with Jones defending her jail director. The mayor is not defending Clemons-Abdullah anymore, though she鈥檚 also not shedding light on why the director is gone.

Gray is married to Jenkins-Gray, the personnel director. She has alleged that Jones wants to get rid of her partly to get back at her husband.

Late Friday afternoon, Moriarty ruled that the case against Jenkins-Gray could move forward. Jenkins-Gray is scheduled to go to before the Civil Service Commission on Monday for a public airing of the 鈥渧ery troubling鈥� allegations against her. The city鈥檚 charter calls for that unusual move because the personnel director is supposed to be an independent position, free from political pressure. The jobholder can only be removed for 鈥渕alfeasance鈥� after a public hearing.

But the commission currently only has two members. Its former chairman resigned, and a recent Jones appointee resigned after just a few weeks.

Norwood argued the law doesn鈥檛 allow the commission to meet without three members. The commission鈥檚 attorney, Michael Garvin, and the city鈥檚 outside counsel, Reggie Harris of the Stinson law firm, argued it does. Moriarty agreed with the city, or at least decided not to stop the process before it starts.

At stake is more than the reputation of Jenkins-Gray (or her husband) and the city鈥檚 stance on personal use of taxpayer-funded vehicles. It鈥檚 also about the city鈥檚 history of keeping personnel directors free from political interference. And that鈥檚 at the crux of the power play between the mayor and her former ally.

鈥淭his is much bigger than my client,鈥� Norwood said. 鈥淲hy is the mayor so hellbent on removing her personnel director?鈥�

The answer to that question awaits.