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Democratic Party Questions Mayor Johnson's Use Of City Hall

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The chair of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County isn't asking for transparency from Republicans across the aisle but from a fellow high-profile democrat down the street - Mayor Kevin Johnson.

"So we're just asking for some transparency," Kerri Ashbury said Monday. "We're not going after the mayor. This isn't about the mayor."

She claims her beef is not with the mayor, but she's demanding an investigation of his non-profits. She recently sent an email to the city manager asking him to look into whether the mayor's organizations are using City Hall office space for free.

On that list is Think Big, the group that fought to keep the Kings in town, and Greenwise, a green technology non-profit.

"If they have nothing to hide, then I wonder why they aren't producing the documents," Ashbury said.

Asbury is also asking for a list of all volunteers for the mayor's organizations.

"If city property is being used for non-profits then it should be open to all the struggling non-profits in the city and not just the ones the mayor has initiated," she said.

Plastered on the party window is a bold statement: "We Are One." Or are they?

"I think it's personal and I think it's high school-esque," said Steve Maviglio, the mayor's political consultant.

Maviglio is baffled by Asbury's timing.

"I think when we have a president who's in the race of his life, when we have a governor who needs to get a budget passed with the help of democrats, and we have a local democrat attacking another democrat, it makes no sense," he said.

But Ashbury said it's not an election issue.

"This isn't about an election," she said. "This is about the city of Sacramento."

The mayor's office says they used City Hall as an incubator for those non-profits and that they're no longer there.

As far as the documents the party leaders are demanding, the city clerk's office says they are going through about 100,000 pieces of paper and the release has to be approved by the city attorney.

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