Councilman Rice Responds to Allegations About Him in Lawsuit Filed Against City by Former City Manager
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The issue being addressed by Rice is that Ford and his attorneys allege in their complaint that Rice improperly attempted to have the City of Bridgeport pay for the damage to an individual’s car which was not caused by the City of Bridgeport.
Rice’s statement from the press release can be found below.
“Though I’m disappointed that Mr. Ford chose to file what I believe to be a frivolous lawsuit against the City of Bridgeport, I can’t say that I’m totally surprised. It is not uncommon for terminated employees to lash out and retaliate against those who were responsible for terminating their employment. Hurting and angry people try to hurt other people, and it’s clear that’s what is going on here.”
“The accusation that I was pressuring Mr. Ford to have the city of Bridgeport pay for a citizen’s automobile damage that was not caused by the city is not only offensive, but unequivocally false, and I can prove it.
“Several months ago, a citizen contacted me after his tire was damaged by what he said was a storm drain grate, which was owned and maintained by the City of Bridgeport and within the city limits. I did what I believe any responsible elected official should do: I forwarded his concern on to the appropriate individuals to address the claim.
“With this press release are copies of emails (below) that I sent to Mr. Ford regarding the matter. A simple reading of them clearly reveals the purpose and tone of my communication with Mr. Ford, which directly refutes the allegations against me. I didn’t pull strings or apply pressure—I simply passed along an email,” Rice said. “In fact, as you can see from the attachments, I left it with Mr. Ford as to whether the city and its insurance company were going to pay this gentleman’s claim, or not. I simply asked Mr. Ford to communicate the decision to the citizen who reached out to me for guidance.
“Mr. Ford’s allegations don’t reveal corruption; they reveal his attempt at retaliation. I have nothing to hide and welcome any investigation into the truth. Though I’ve now had to retain an attorney at my own expense, I remain focused on the integrity of our city government and the future of Bridgeport. The residents of Bridgeport deserve leadership rooted in facts, not fiction.
“We owe it to our community to stand firm in the face of falsehoods. I remain committed to accountability and service to the people of Bridgeport who elected me. This is my hometown. We are a special community, and our city deserves better than this.”