Taft City Hall exceeded maximum occupancy as citizens gathered in support of Police Chief John Landreth during Thursday’s special meeting, which addressed the potential termination of his employment.
With only council members Chris Keeney, Alonzo Molina, and Rolando Rodriguez present, the meeting began with an hour-long executive session. Landreth had requested an open session for the discussion, but the request was denied.
When the council returned to open session, Molina and Keeney questioned Landreth, many inquiries focusing on the ongoing investigation into LeeAnn Goben and the alleged misuse of city credit cards for personal expenses totaling over $30,000 from June through September. However, the majority of questions pertained to Landreth’s past interactions with the council.
Landreth was placed on leave without pay in May after he reported possible criminal violations by the city secretary. He first reported the violations to city officials, including then-City Manager Kandi Hubert, but after nothing was done, he reached out to 6 Investigates.