Commissioner Logan publicly accused an unknown party of leaking confidential attorney-client information to Helena residents, calling it 'a serious matter that undermines the city of Helena and its ability to legally defend itself.' Logan made the allegation during the March 23 Helena City Commission meeting, stating that speakers at a prior Wednesday administrative meeting had demonstrated knowledge of privileged information exchanged during private briefings with outside counsel Tasha Jones — meetings attended by only eight people: the four commissioners, outside counsel, City Attorney Doctor, and Clerk Clayborne.
Logan stated explicitly: 'This is not an isolated incident and I don't think we can any longer afford to ignore it.' Mayor Dean echoed the concern, saying she received phone calls before the Wednesday meeting from community members relaying privileged information. Dean warned that leaked litigation strategy weakens the city's ability to successfully defend itself, especially 'when we're going up against entities much larger than our own.'
Mayor Dean suggested the commission may need to address the issue through changes to its bylaws or governance rules. No formal investigation or disciplinary action was announced at the March 23 meeting. The allegation of an internal leak from a circle of eight officials is directly connected to the ongoing Attorney General investigation into Resolution 20-11062, the subject of a special commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 26.