Opinion - Saratoga Springs Politics

The below blog posts are written by John Kaufmann.
These opinions do not reflect the views of Saratoga TODAY newspaper.

Thursday, 18 August 2022 08:56

The Smoking Gun: Kim, Montagnino, Sanghvi-What Did They Know and When Did They Know It?

By John Kaufmann | Saratoga Springs Politics

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At a recent City Council meeting, Saratoga Springs Mayor Kim, Public Safety Commissioner Montagnino, and Finance Commissioner Sanghvi made blistering attacks on Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran and Director of Risk and Safety Marilyn Rivers accusing them of trying to hide a payment for a deductible owed to the city’s insurance company in a settlement of a lawsuit against the city (see recent post). Montagnino claimed he only became aware of the settlement by using his attorney skills to find information on the web. Kim and Sanghvi asserted that they were also not told of the settlement.

As it turns out emails below show that Marilyn Rivers advised Mayor Kim’s Deputy, Angela Rella, and City Attorney Tony Izzo of the settlement in an email on July 11, 2022, a month earlier.

So how is it that Kim, Montagnino, and Sanghvi were allegedly unaware of the settlement? Ms. Rella is Kim’s deputy. Did she fail to read the email, or did she fail to inform Kim? Was Kim advised of the settlement by her and cynically made accusations knowing they were untrue?

Did Izzo fail to advise Montagnino and Sanghvi, or had they been informed but, for some bizarre reason, chose to pretend ignorance in their reckless accusations of some kind of conspiracy?

Here is the email Marilyn Rivers sent to Izzo and Rella regarding the settlement and the deductible owed.

Attached please find correspondenc pertaining to Timothy Wales as received from Travelers Insurance. As discussed in previous conversations. This is the only correspondenc/information I will receive regarding the Timothy Wales Settlement. Additional information may be received directly from John Aspland – insurance counsel on this case file. The process at this juncture is that the City Council – in this case Tony Izzo – would share the settlement with the City Council . My insurance file is now formally closed with this email.

Marilyn Rivers July 11, 2022

Below is the full thread of the email sent by Rivers to Rella and Izzo.

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