Herrera mum on Rippey-Tourk back payments

Ruby Rippey-Tourk
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Brent Begin, Bay City News

February 15, 2007, 3:30 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced today his opposition to the public release of detailed information related to sick pay given to Mayor Gavin Newsom's former appointments secretary, Ruby Rippey-Tourk.

In a statement, Herrera promised to investigate whether payments to Rippey-Tourk were acceptable, including a "retroactive payment for leave made at the end of her term of service."

Rippey-Tourk, the wife of former Newsom campaign advisor Alex Tourk, recently became a prominent figure after the mayor admitted to an affair with her when she worked at City Hall. The admission followed Tourk's resignation.

"A City employee's receipt of paid leave is subject to confidentiality laws, including laws relating to medical privacy," the statement read. "The city attorney has consistently advised that disclosure by the city of the reasons a city employee receives paid leave or the nature of that leave -- including the disclosure of the employee's private medical and personnel information -- is prohibited."

And while the city attorney's office pledged not to release those records, Herrera did pledge to assure that all payments were "done properly under City laws and procedures."

A spokesman for the city attorney's said there would be no further comment on the issue until the investigation is resolved. Rippey-Tourk resigned from the appointments secretary position in the spring of 2006.

Text of the City Attorney statement follows:

City Attorney Dennis Herrera recently became aware of questions involving City compensation for paid leave given to former mayoral appointments secretary Ruby Rippey-Tourk, including a retroactive payment for leave made at the end of her term of service.

A City employee's receipt of paid leave is subject to confidentiality laws, including laws relating to medical privacy. The City Attorney has consistently advised that disclosure by the City of the reasons a City employee receives paid leave or the nature of that leave -- including the disclosure of the employee's private medical and personnel information -- is prohibited.

With the full cooperation of the City officials involved, the City Attorney has already begun the process of reviewing the paid leave to Ms. Rippey-Tourk to assure that it was done properly under City laws and procedures, and will refrain from any further statement on the matter until after the review is concluded.

The City Attorney also intends to work with the Office of the Mayor, the City Controller, the Director of Public Health and the Director of Human Resources to review their policies and procedures on paid leave to assure that paid leave is administered fairly for all City employees and in compliance with applicable legal requirements.

####