Mark Sokolow Investigation

These two property records show the addresses and date of purchase of the homes owned by Council Member Pat Berryman at 206 Champions Drive and Assistant City Attorney Bridget Chapman at 219 Champions Drive. Berryman purchased her home March 1, 2004. Chapman purchased her home May 31, 2005.

Georgetown City Attorney Mark Sokolow filed this lawsuit in a Travis County District Court on August 13, 2010. The lawsuit seeks to contest the Attorney General's ruling concerning The Austin Bulldog's open records request for copies of Sokolow's performance evaluations. The ruling states that Sokolow can withhold information in the performance evaluations that is protected by attorney-client privilege, but concludes the remaining information is not protected by attorney-client privilege and must be released.

The Austin Bulldog filed this open records request with the City of Georgetown on May 16 to request copies of City Attorney Mark Sokolow's written performance evaluations delivered by the mayor and city council members.

In the wake of the Attorney General's open records decision of August 3, 2010, The Austin Bulldog e-mailed City Attorney Mark Sokolow on August 8, 2010, to request that he promptly provide copies of the performance evaluations, with redactions for portions authorized to be withheld for attorney-client privilege. This e-mail also directed Sokolow's attention to Section 552.324 of the Texas Government Code, which provides guidance in the event he chose to file a lawsuit challenging the ruling.

The highlight portion of this page from the City of Port Arthur's Personnel Policy Manual indicates that Mark Sokolow, who was hired in April 1996, was entitled to reimbursement for a maximum of 480 hours of accumulated sick leave upon termination of employment.