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Oakland Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney
is becoming her own worst nightmare for re-election.
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OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL |
ELECTION 2016 |
A much-anticipated fundraiser for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker hosted by Rep. Barbara Lee was held Tuesday night at the Oakland Marriott–just a few blocks from a session of the Oakland City Council. For Oakland Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney the question of how to spend her Tuesday night was apparently easy–she called in sick for work. Then was inexplicably caught in the act of playing hooky from the council meeting.
The incident is undoubtedly one of the most embarrassing moments in recent East Bay political history after East Bay Express reporter Darwin BondGraham posted video and photos of McElhaney, elegantly dressed in white, hobnobbing at the soiree while the council meeting was still in session.
McElhaney even started coughing when she saw me taking photos. #oakmtg pic.twitter.com/hnOAhhntTT— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) October 19, 2016
Just left Oakland City Council and walked into the Marriott and guess who’s here. The sick council prez. #oakmtg pic.twitter.com/OMETKWmm0i— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) October 19, 2016
McElhaney is currently embroiled in a long-simmering ethics scandal, in addition, to facing recent calls by some councilmembers to schedule a censure hearing for her transgressions. The past two Rules Committee meetings have been canceled by McElhaney in an effort to avoid scheduling censure proceedings. Councilmembers Desley Brooks and Anne Campbell Washington said Tuesday night they will try again at the next rules meeting on Thursday morning. McElhaney later rushed back to City Hall for the remainder of the council meeting.
In the meantime, McElhaney is suddenly facing a growing threat to her re-election next month from community activist and first-time candidate Noni Session. It’s a scenario few could have imagined a month ago as support in McElhaney’s District 3 begins to show signs of cracking.
For instance, the tip about McElhaney’s whereabouts was delivered during public comment by Oakland Post publisher Paul Cobb, whose community newspaper has been increasingly critical of McElhaney. The East Bay Express also excoriated McElhaney last week while endorsing her opponent.
One significant political group that has stuck by McElhaney’s side is the Alameda County Democratic Party. During its endorsement of her campaign last month, some members lashed out at the grand jury report that slammed McElhaney for using her political influence on behalf of a personal matter involving a property next to her home. Some central committee members said the process by which the grand jury chooses cases is biased toward minorities.
ebcitizen.com 
Another person who lies. She needs to be fined and repay an money that was given to her for the meeting claimed sick at. They should show this article at the council meeting.
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won't matter. Im. not a fan of McElhaney but she will still be reelected. Her chances are not in jeopardy. wishful thinking, not analysis
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What a bitch!
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good catch . but i'm not a tiny bit surprised
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By MW:
Rather than condemning McElhaney for refusing to do the job that she is being paid to do, instead by not showing up for work we should probably double her pay.
While I m not personally familiar with McElhaney, however most of our politicians are such extreme scumbags, parasites, bloodsucking leeches, and professional pathological liars, that therefore we should be delighted at every single instance they do not show up for work.
For instance a number of years ago I worked for a corporation that had a particular employee who totally screwed up virtually everything he touched. That organization would have been many times better off if it had paid that guy to stay home and to never come to work.
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