"After receiving instruction from the Greensboro City Council to begin legal proceedings against HB 263 restructuring the council, City Attorney Tom Carruthers made a point to say that his office’s relationship with the law firm Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard—where District 3 representative Justin Outling is an associate — was limited to providing advice on constitutional issues and that the city had not retained litigation counsel to handle a (possible) lawsuit."
As it turns out Justin Outling works for Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard.
And here's what former Greensboro City Attourny Mujeeb Shah-Khan had to say about conflicts of interest in an e-mail to Mayor and Council:
"Mayor and Council:...What must be considered is if a conflict of interest exists either under N.C.G.S. §§160A-75 or 14-234, or the City of Greensboro’s Charter, or the City’s Conflict of Interest Policy....Direct or indirect benefits are considered under the City’s conflict of interest policy and typically involve financial interests for the Councilmember, his or her immediate family, their partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ the member, family member or partner...Mujeeb"
Note that while Mujeeb notes state statutes, Tom Carruthers did not.
