Woodside’s Town Council has fired Town Manager Jason Ledbetter after he demanded $400,000 in order to keep secret a report he had written about council members, town officials announced today (May 1).
Woodside hired an independent investigator to look into Ledbetter’s report where he claimed he was manipulated to stop subsidized housing projects and that two council members would make disparaging, racist and sexist remarks about others on council. The report investigated 10 of Ledbetter’s allegations and only substantiated one, that Councilman Paul Goeld violated the state’s open meeting law by telling Ledbetter how the council came to hire him, according to the report by attorney David Stallard.
The town council voted unanimously to fire Ledbetter for his threats and demands. Ledbetter, who has been on administrative leave since he released the report on Feb. 19, was invited to address his charges against council in public, but he declined, according to an unsigned statement from the town.
Acting Town Manager Melissa Cardinale will continue in that role.
District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the Post yesterday that he plans to announce his office’s findings into an investigation of Brown Act violations of council and possible extortion by Ledbetter today or Monday.
The Post has reached out to Ledbetter. This article will be updated if he provides a response.
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