Pete Buttigieg: Judge to decide whether to release ‘secret tapes’ surrounding mayor’s decision to demote city’s first black police chief

The mayor is reportedly willing to release the tapes but believes a judge should determine who can hear them

An Indiana judge will soon decide whether to release secretly recorded tapes that led Pete Buttigieg to demote the first black police chief of South Bend.

The small city’s local police office and its mayor — who has become one of the unlikely 2020 frontrunners for the White House — have found themselves at the heart of a controversy dating back to 2011, which spurred an FBI investigation and accusations of criminal misconduct on the part of multiple police officers.

The 29-year-old mayor was just beginning his first term when a veteran at the South Bend Police Department told Police Chief Darryl Boykins that a phone line for one of his detectives was being secretly recorded.

Mr Boykins, who was invited by Mr Buttigieg after his election to remain in his post, reportedly confronted multiple officers at the department after several recordings purported to include racist statements and discussions of a possible criminal conspiracy. The officers responded by claiming the recordings were produced illegally and issued complaints that prompted an FBI investigation.

Mr Buttigieg asked the police chief to step down a year later when he was first contacted by the FBI and alerted to the agency’s investigation. His reasoning for Mr Boykin’s resignation reportedly included that the police chief did not inform him of the ongoing probe.

After some back and forth, Mr Boykins was eventually demoted to a captain at the department. His lawyer claimed the ex-chief previously complied with a decision to resign under “the false pretence that the Mayor was being directed into this course of action by the US Attorney’s office.”

Mr Boykins then sued the city of South Bend, claiming racial discrimination and noting the recording policies had previously existed under multiple white police chiefs.

The supposed difference under Mr Boykins, however, is that the detective whose line was being recorded was not aware it was happening at the time. Previously, a detective had requested the phone line to be recorded so as not to miss as tip, whereas the new detective, Brian Young, was not informed.

The City Council subpoenaed the tapes, The Hill reported, with one Democratic lawmaker expressing frustration at the mayor’s office not to immediately release the tapes.

“There’s a level of frustration,” Karen White, a Democratic city councilwoman, told the outlet. “We want this issue to be brought to closure to ensure this issue does not polarize our community further. We have a right to know [what’s on the tapes], as do our citizens.”

Mr Buttigieg is reportedly willing to release the tapes but wanted to first ensure their release did not violate any state or federal laws. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The mayor also decided to fire Karen DePaepe, the veteran at the police department who informed Mr Boykin of the tapes and the resulting controversies, reportedly under the notion that she had intentionally listened in on the officer’s calls. He also fought the subpoenas in court, saying that it’s up to a judge to determine who can hear the recordings, rather than the mayor’s office.

Ms DePaepe has claimed in court filings she “inadvertently stumbled” on the controversial elements of the recordings.

Mr Boykins and Ms DePaepe have both since settled lawsuits with the city. US Attorneys declined to pursue the case of a potential criminal conspiracy among the officers.