Durham council to consider censuring member over ethics violations. Read the resolution.
Durham City Council member Monique Holsey-Hyman will face a censure vote next month over accusations she improperly involved city staff in her political campaign.
She denied the allegations made public Thursday afternoon in a City Council work session.
Holsey-Hyman also was accused Thursday of suggesting to a developer that she would support their project in exchange for a campaign contribution, said Mayor Elaine O’Neal, reading from a statement.
The council member’s name was left out of the statement, but she was identified by others on the City Council. Holsey-Hyman did not address that matter.
Council member Jillian Johnson drafted a resolution that the council will vote on at the April 3 meeting. It addresses the accusations involving city staff.
“I feel like we have a very high bar, a very high threshold for taking this kind of action,” Johnson said. “This reflects on our entire council and on our city and on our commitments to the community. On the way that we use our power and authority.”
READ MORE: Shouting breaks out after revelation of investigation into sitting Durham City Council member
The resolution censures Holsey-Hyman “for her conduct and condemns her actions as not meeting the standards expected of members of the City Council and leaders of the City of Durham.”
O’Neal, who comforted Holsey-Hyman after Thursday’s meeting, asked that she not be listed as the signatory, as is custom for City Council resolutions.
“Please remove my name from the draft resolution,” records show she emailed early Thursday morning.
Here is a look at the resolution:
The accusation around mixing campaign work and government business centers on three matters, according to a statement Holsey-Hyman read during the meeting:
- A September incident in which Holsey-Hyman asked a city staffer to research PACs and other matters deemed campaign related.
- A January conversation with a city staffer about working on her campaign should she run for election this year.
- A March incident in which that staffer sent an invite to a non-work event during work hours.
“The incident to my knowledge was addressed with the staff member, her supervisor and myself,” Holsey-Hyman said of the first matter.
Regarding the second incident, Holsey-Hyman said the staffer volunteered and was granted permission by HR. She said the staffer signed a statement taking responsibility for the third incident.
According to Johnson’s resolution, that staffer was disciplined.
READ MORE: Who is Monique Holsey-Hyman? What we know about her history & the investigation
“In my years on this council, I have never had to consider a resolution for censure. For anyone. And we have had some knock-down, drag-out fights on this council,” Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton said.
Holsey-Hyman was unanimously appointed in May 2022 when Charlie Reece resigned to move abroad. She will be up for election this year.
“All I wanted to do is serve,” Holsey-Hyman said.
Middleton said censure would not amount to a condemnation of Holsey-Hyman’s character.
“The joke about censure is it’s a slap on the wrist for powerful people, but what it really is is a way to say this act has to be addressed,” he said. “It’s about — did you run this red light? Was your seat belt on?”
This story was originally published March 23, 2023 at 5:30 PM.
