Stockton City Council responds to grand jury on 209 Times, leaks and threats

The Stockton City Council has announced its intention to adopt new policies to combat intimidation and misconduct at City Hall, following a report by the San Joaquin County Grand Jury in June that said “the ethical administration of … Stockton is under attack.”

The city's response to the grand jury, approved by a 7-0 vote Tuesday night, outlined plans to adopt rules that would, among other things, prevent council members from disclosing confidential information, deal with threats against officials and staff, and regulate the activities of political consultants in the city.

“I hope and pray that this council will not do what the Stockton Unified School District Board of Education did and ignore the grand jury report,” Reverend Ernest Williams said before the vote.

The Stockton City Council listens to comments from the public during a council meeting at City Hall in downtown Stockton on August 20, 2024.

Grand Jury:What Stockton Unified's years of alleged misconduct – and the consequences – will look like through 2024

Jurors recommended the reforms after finding that individuals with ties to the 209 Times had “continuously attempted to undermine the local democratic process by misleading Stockton voters.”

In addition, the grand jury found that “…members of the Stockton City Council who support the efforts of this (social media platform) are complicit in the deterioration of camaraderie, trust, respect and ethical governance.”

Stockton resident and activist Ralph Lee White speaks before the Stockton City Council during a public hearing at a council meeting at City Hall in downtown Stockton on August 20, 2024.

Grand Jury:209 Times “has targeted every level” of Stockton government with sustained harassment

The 209 Times social media platform is owned by a Stockton-based political consultant and sometimes presents itself as a nonpartisan news site. Owner Motecuzoma Sanchez did not respond to requests for comment on the investigation.

Council members plan to put several reforms to a vote before March 31, 2025, their response said. But with four council seats up for grabs in November, the current council has only about four months to enshrine the reforms itself before the next council meets in January.

Rules scheduled for March 31 or earlier include:

A policy for dealing with threats against city officials and employees;
Possible restrictions on mobile phone use by Council members during confidential meetings;
A plan to discipline council members who disclose information from confidential meetings;
A guideline on when the Council may refer investigations into such revelations to the grand jury.