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A whistleblower lawsuit filed against Kansas City this week has offered fresh details about a sweeping criminal probe that has upended City Hall over the past year.
The lawsuit, filed by Melissa Kozakiewicz, a former assistant city manager who oversaw city communications, alleges that she was fired last year just days after speaking with two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents about city officials who “steered public contracts to favored vendors” based on race and connections.
“Shortly after her disclosures of wrongdoing by other City officials — including just six days after reporting her concerns to the FBI — Plaintiff was abruptly terminated from her position as Assistant City Manager without cause or explanation,” the lawsuit said.
Kozakiewicz’s lawsuit marks the first time an individual has publicly identified themselves as a source for the FBI’s investigation. The criminal investigation, which dates back at least last August, has roiled City Hall and scrambled the upcoming race for mayor in 2027.
Over the last several months, The Star has spoken with several former city employees who were interviewed as part of the probe. Those employees, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of...
CHICAGO — Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, is fighting deportation in a Chicago hearing after being accused of lying on immigration paperwork and supporting terrorism....