Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is facing a lawsuit from a former employee, Patti Lee, who was fired in December 2023 from her position as public information officer for the DA's office. Lee alleges that the firing was in response to her opposing the destruction of documents requested by local news media personnel, which related to Price ordering the removal of a local reporter, Emilie Raguso, from a November 2023 press conference.
The incident involving Raguso's barring from a press conference led by Price was well-publicized and caused concern among reporters, press freedom groups, and First Amendment organizations. Lee quickly found herself handling multiple requests from local news organizations seeking clarification regarding the DA office's handling of press credentials in general and the incident involving Raguso in particular. Price issued a press release on December 2, 2023, "reaffirming her commitment to the First Amendment" and declaring Raguso would be allowed to attend future press conferences. However, the requests from local media continued, and Lee discovered her superiors were less than forthcoming in responding to these requests.
Ms. Lee expressed concerns to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Catherine Kobal that Communications Director Haaziq Madyun may have deleted or altered records that were responsive to CPRA requests. Significantly, Ms. Lee was aware of responsive documents that existed and contradicted the narrative that the office wanted to portray in withholding such records.
Lee also had Microsoft Teams meetings with Madyun about locating responsive documents, but it became clear that Madyun was not being responsive to the requests. The lawsuit highlights the ongoing tension between the DA and the media, as well as the potential consequences of the DA's actions.
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