CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — 6 Investigates began looking into public funds awarded to developers of the Homewood Suites by Hilton in April after receiving an audio recording between Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni and a competing hotel owner.
KRIS 6 News was also given copies of text messages and emails between Zanoni and that hotelier.
They were exchanged on Zanoni's personal phone and Gmail.
As part of the process to verify the authenticity of these documents, 6 Investigates filed a Public Information Request with the city on April 29.
On May 10, the city provided some of the requested documents, but not the text messages and emails that 6 Investigates already had.
Three weeks after the city turned over documents, KRIS 6 News asked Zanoni why these text messages and emails were not turned over.
At that time, he said he had not yet turned over his cell phone information to the City Attorney and wasn't sure if the city was behind on this Public Information Request.
However, at the time the city complied with the request, it did not indicate that it was a partial response, or that 6 Investigates could expect any further documents.
"It sounds like it was an inappropriate response," Zanoni said.
KRIS 6 News asked Zanoni if his use of his personal cell phone and Gmail account was to avoid complying with state law and if 6 Investigates would have ever received those documents if it didn't already have them.
Zanoni defended his record of transparency.
"I've taken more screenshots off my phone and given them to other requesters than probably anybody," he said. "It's not unusual for me to provide information, in this case, because of travel and because of other big items and because council already approved this, I'm not going to drop everything to get to this because it's less critical."
Councilmembers Gil Hernandez and Roland Barrera both said public officials have a responsibility to turn over public documents.
"Okay, it wouldn't be acceptable for a city council member to do that. I'll have to look at it from the perspective that if he's doing things like this, then we have to address it as a council with him directly," Hernandez said.
The law gives governmental bodies no more than ten business days to turn over records unless they intend to ask the Attorney General if it can be withheld, or have notified the requester that more time is needed to comply.
In this case, the city did neither.
