VIDEO: Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley speaks about federal investigation

Whaley said she did not make herself available to the media earlier because she doesn’t have a lot to say about the investigation at this time.

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Whaley said she does not have a lot of information to share about the investigation because she only learned about the indictments against former Commissioner Joey Williams and city employee RoShawn Winburn from the media Tuesday.

“I learned this in real time,” she said. “You guys actually knew it before we knew it.”

Whaley said even if she had more information, it would be inappropriate to divulge because she wants to “respect the process of the federal investigation.”

Asked if she was under investigation, Whaley said she has no knowledge of that but she wouldn’t share that information if she was.

Whaley declined to comment when asked whether federal investigators have reached out to her.

Whaley said she disagreed with the remarks of federal authorities who said Dayton-area politics have a “culture of corruption.” But the city will do everything it can to root out corruption, the mayor said.

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Whaley said she believes she has never broken the law while in office. She said the city will be completely transparent with investigators and the public.

The city will continue to figure out how to improve its processes and the city has hired an outside counsel to review and evaluate its practices, Whaley said.

“This is not a time that we’re excited about, but leadership is about working your way through these efforts and cooperating fully and making sure your organization comes out stronger on the other side,” she said.

The city says it has hired Green & Green Lawyers to review its procurement and contracting process.

The city has used Green & Green for administrative investigations in the past, and the law director keeps a purchase order in place for the firm annually, said Barbara Doseck, Dayton’s law director.

The city essentially keeps the firm on retainer, officials said. The firm is pulling and reviewing contracts and has the ability to utilize forensic and other auditing services it feels is necessary, Doseck said.

“We want the process to be as quick as possible — this is serious,” she said.

Mayor Whaley’s official statement

My heart is broken for Dayton. I understand the anger and sadness that many people are feeling – because I feel it too. When our community has already overcome so much, this blow feels especially painful.

I have asked this Commission and directed the City Manager to evaluate the steps we can take to make sure that the City is always working for our residents. This Commission fully supports the City Manager as she pursues a thorough investigation to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to provide fair, transparent, and honest government.

I take federal authorities at their word that there may be more to come. We respect this process and will cooperate with the federal government and the Ohio Attorney General in any way that is required. No city wants to be under a cloud of suspicion, but we fully believe we must embrace this oversight and that Dayton will come out stronger at the end of this process.

I understand that the public’s trust in the City is damaged. I and this Commission will continue to work every day to rebuild that trust and never lose sight of the job we are here to do - to serve the residents of the City of Dayton.

Commissioner Jeffrey Mims

This news comes as a shock to many of us, myself included. I am saddened for Dayton as a whole, and especially for my community. This one hurts, a lot. However, we must persevere while we let the legal process play out.

I am committed to ensuring that a complete and independent investigation occurs into finding out how this might have happened. We must remember that we have weathered bigger storms than this have always stayed strong.

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Commissioner Chris Shaw

It is hard to find the right words for this. We are all disappointed. However, I will let the legal process play out before casting judgement.

This City is full of devoted employees who work every day to provide high quality services to the residents of Dayton and we will continue to do so. I am committed to fully supporting the independent investigation, the City Manager, this Commission and our employees.

Commissioner Matt Joseph

After hearing the news, I’m shocked and angry. I would much rather spend my time as a public servant working to bring good jobs to Dayton and making the city a better place to live and work. For the time being, my job and the Commission’s job is to find any other bad actors involved and bring them to justice, then fix any processes that are broken. I fully support the City Manager’s independent investigation into the city’s contracting process.

Commissioner Darryl Fairchild

I’m unsettled by the allegations revealed yesterday. Like many residents, I recognize these allegations raise important questions and diminish trust. My faith instructs me not to gossip, which I understand to mean not to speak beyond what I know. Therefore, I will be respecting our principle of due process. Given the current public facts, I believe it is unfair, unprofessional, and prejudicial to characterize Dayton-area politics, which would encompass Representative Turner, Mayor Whaley, and myself, as “a culture of corruption.”

DAYTON CORRUPTION PROBE: Read the indictments here

Going forward, I fully support the City Manager’s decision to hire a law firm to independently review our contracting process. I commit to maintaining the review’s independence, addressing any issues discovered, and restoring the trust of our residents.