KCMO will spend up to $10,000 on an outside lawyer to investigate incident involving councilman Michael Brooks

One day after Kansas City, Missouri, Councilman Michael Brooks allegedly choked his legislative aide in his City Council office, City Hall reached an agreement with employment law firm Littler Mendelson to investigate.

Tonia Titus reported to the Kansas City Police Department on November 10 that Brooks had choked her on the afternoon of November 4, with his hands and, moments later, her belt after rebuffing a remark that he’d made about her hair. City Hall didn’t wait for Titus to go to the police; on November 5, the city struck a contract with Littler Mendelson lawyer Donald Prophete.

The agreement will pay Prophete no more than $10,000 to investigate. Prophete charges $440 an hour under the contract with the city.

Brooks has kept quiet about the report, referring to it as a personnel matter. He hired well-known Kansas City defense attorney John Picerno. The rest of the council and Mayor Sly James have also remained mum. The allegations have not been tested in court, nor has Brooks been charged with a crime.https://www.scribd.com/embeds/246883019/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true