Phone Records, County Attorney Statement Contradict Claims of Investigation by Councilman Gillispie

Public statements made by Councilman Brian Gillispie suggesting a legal investigation related to alleged open meetings concerns are not supported by phone records or by the county attorney’s office, according to documentation obtained by the Hansford County Reporter-Statesman.

Phone logs show that Mr. Gillispie initiated a call to the county attorney’s office.  According to the county attorney, she did not initiate the contact and later returned the call while she was in the office. 

The county attorney said her office “is not investigating this matter and is not aware of any ongoing investigation involving it.”

This information is significant because subsequent public statements created the impression that the matter had escalated into a legal investigation. 

On Nov. 24, an anonymous letter referencing legal concerns was sent to the county attorney and the Reporter Statesman regarding regarding our reporting on closed session.

The issue remained dormant until Jan. 20, when statements suggesting  county attorney involvement were placed into the public record during a city council meeting by Mr. Gillispie. During that meeting, he stated:

“I would like to remind everybody that what is said in closed session cannot be repeated outside. Last time we met in the executive session, some stuff showed up in the Reporter-Statesman. I know the county attorney has checked on that because I’ve had some questions from her. Just a reminder that’s not ok.”

The following day, on Jan. 21, during their reporting of the city council meeting, the HPO, an online news outlet, published a statement indicating there was “an ongoing investigation.” The outlet’s editor is Mr. Gillispie’s wife, Gina Gillispie.

In response to the public claims, the Hansford County Reporter-Statesman submitted an open records request on Jan. 22 seeking call logs from the county attorney’s office related to incoming and outgoing calls involving Mr. Gillispie.

The records obtained in response to the request and the statements made to us by the county attorney directly contradict claims that an investigation existed or was underway.

Invoking a prosecuting authority carries significant weight and can influence public perception, particularly when legal action is implied.   

The confirmation from the county attorney and the phone records clarify that there is no such investigation.

The Hansford County Reporter-Statesman sought to verify the claims in order to ensure the public record accurately reflects the actions taken by all parties involved.

[Editor's note:  We have offered to accept a statement from Mr. Gillispie and will include it as a follow-up, if received.  We were unable to obtain a statement from Mr. Gillispie due to our hard-print deadlines.