Oakland City Attorney Blasts Jane Brunner As “Pay To Play”

Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker’s not taking any gruff from Oakland City Councilmember Jane Brunner (District One) in their election fight to determine who becomes Oakland’s next City Attorney. A strongly-worded email from Parker (not using her City of Oakland email, but her campaign email) basically calls out Brunner and slams her accusations back in her face. Here it is, in full:

Zennie —

In the last few days, you may have seen two negative emails that were sent out by my opponent, both of which attacked me and my record as your City Attorney.

I was disappointed to see Councilmember Brunner use personal attacks in an effort to win this election. In her emails, Councilmember Brunner absurdly referred to me as a “pay to play” politician. Those who know me find this accusation laughable.

Let me be absolutely clear: No campaign donor has ever or will ever receive preferential treatment from me or from my office, period.

Councilmember Brunner’s attacks against me were strange because a significant portion of Councilmember Brunner’s political contributions in this election have come from developers, lobbyists, and others with business before the City Council, including before Ms. Brunner’s own committee. Ms. Brunner also has solicited contributions from attorneys whose law firms have done or wish to do business with the City, including attorneys who have contributed to my campaign.

My entire 35 year legal career has been about the law—about professionalism—not politics. I’ve been a full-time professional attorney since my graduation from Harvard Law. I’ve served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, a member of the State Judicial Council, and I worked for two major corporations and two prominent law firms. In my 21 years in the Oakland City Attorney’s office, I have never forgotten that it is my duty, every day, to serve the people of Oakland with professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

The reason my candidacy has earned such broad support from the legal community is because with me you get a City Attorney who is fair, impartial, competent, and professional. I am very proud to say I have earned the endorsement of Women Lawyers of Alameda County, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, Charles Houston Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association of Northern California, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California, Alameda County Democratic Lawyers Club, State Bar of California President John Streeter, the current and immediate past presidents of the Alameda County Bar Association, and many more leaders in the Bay Area legal community.
Let’s put these political attacks aside. While the office of the City Attorney is an elected position, it is also a professional position. And you can count on me to continue to serve you with the absolute highest level of professionalism. The people of Oakland deserve no less.

Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker

Good for Barbara. I think…

Stay tuned.