Update: Romero claims city manager approved art request by white supremacist

Update: Romero claims city manager approved art request by white supremacist

ART REQUEST -- TO PAINT A BLUELINE -- OUTSIDE THE TUCSONPOLICE DEPARTMENT.

MAYORREGINA ROMERO SAYS -- THEPERSON WHO SUBMITTED THEREQUEST -- HAS TIES TO WHITESUPREMACIST IDEOLOGY.

A NOTEBEFORE WE GET INTO THE STORY-- WE REACHED OUT TO EVERYONEINVOLVED -- INCLUDING TIMOTHYCESO-LINI.

HE'S THE MAN --ROMERO SAYS -- HAS WHITESUPREMACY TIES.

HE ORIGINALLYSAID HE WOULD SPEAK TO USTODAY -- THEN BACKED OUT --BUT SAID -- HE'D TALK TO USTOMORROW.

IN THIS STORY --WE'RE USING A PUBLIC FACEBOOKPOST -- FROM CESO-LINI.

HERE'STAJA DAVIS -- WHO HEARD FROMTHE MAYOR TODAY.MAYOR REGINA ROMERO IS CALLINGOUT WARD 4 COUNCIL MEMBER NIKKILEE AND CITY MANAGER MICHAELORTEGA AFTER SHE SAYS THEYAPPROVED A PUBLIC ART REQUESTFROM SOMEONE WITH TIES TOWHITE SUPREMACY.

HERE IS SOMEBACKGROUND PROVIDED FROMCOUNCIL MEMBER LEE& IN ASTATEMENT SHE EXPLAINS HOW AGROUP CALLED "TUCSON BACK THEBLUE LINE" SENT IN SEVERALREQUESTS TO QUOTE SAFELYPAINT A SINGLE BLUE LINE INFRONT OF THE MAIN POLICESTATION ON STONE AVENUE TOILLUSTRATE THEIR SUPPORT OFTUCSON OFFICERS.

SHE HELPEDFORWARD THE REQUEST TO THECITY MANAGER MICHAEL ORTEGAWHO THEN RECEIVED THEREQUEST GAVE INFORMATIONREGARDING THE PERMIT PROCESSAND APPROVED IT.

NOW MAYORREGINA ROMERO SAYS SHE HEARDABOUT THE REQUEST FROM A CITYOF TUCSON EMPLOYEE -- WHO WASCONCERNED CITY MANAGER ORTEGA-- MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN THEBACKGROUND OF THE PERSON WHOREQUESTED THIS ART --SERIOUSLY.

THE PERSON INQUESTION TIMOTHY CESOLINIAN ADMINISTRATOR OF THEGROUP'S FACEBOOK PAGE.

00:22MAYOR REGINA ROMERO "I SPOKETO THE CITY MANAGER ANDBASICALLY SAID, LOOK THIS ISVERY CONCERNING.

AND IF I ASTHE MAYOR OF TUCSON LET THISHAPPEN, THEN I WILL, ANDRIGHTFULLY SO, HEAR FROM THECOMMUNITY IF THIS STREETPAINTING HAPPENS ESPECIALLYWITH CITY OF TUCSONRESOURCES." 00:22 MAYOR REGINAROMERO "THERE'S VERY CLEARWHITE, CONFEDERATE FLAGS ONHIS POSTS AND DISPARAGINGBLACK AMERICANS IN HIS POSTS.SINCE WE SAW THIS INFORMATION,IT WAS STILL ON HIS FACEBOOKPAGE AND AVAILABLE FOR THEPUBLIC TO SEE.

SINCE THEN, HEHAS HIDDEN THEM FROM HISPAGE." AND THAT WAS CONCERNINGENOUGH -- FOR THE MAYOR TOMAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENTAGAINST THE REQUEST OF THEART.

SHE SAYS -- THIS ISN'TABOUT NOT SUPPORTING POLICE --ITS ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL THATMADE THE REQUEST.

00:22 <MAYOR REGINA ROMERO "I'M NOTGOING TO STAND BY WHERE THEREIS MALICIOUS INTENTION AND APERSON THAT HAS DISPLAYEDWHITE SUPREMACISTS, RACISTPOINTS IN HIS SOCIAL MEDIA,COME TO THE CITY OF TUCSON ANDUSE CITY OF TUCSON RESOURCESTO SOW HATE AND DIVISION.

I'MJUST NOT GOING TO ALLOW THAT."COUNCIL MEMBER LEE RELEASED ASTATEMENT SAYING IN PART&"UNFORTUNATELY, IN DOING MYJOB OF BEING A RESPONSIVELOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL & IHAVE BEEN ACCUSED OFSUPPORTING WHITE SUPREMACISTSAND WHITE SUPREMACYORGANIZATIONS.

I AM DISGUSTEDAT THIS ALLEGATION& IT ISPOSSIBLE TO SUPPORT OUR BLACKCOMMUNITY AND SUPPORT POLICEOFFICERS AT THE SAME TIME & ITIS POSSIBLE TO DEMAND CHANGEWHILE SUPPORTING THE VERYPEOPLE WHOM WE DEMAND THECHANGE FROM&" A FACEBOOK POSTFROM CESOLINI SAYS INPART... "1ST AND FOREMOST IAM NOT IN ANY WAY A WHITESUPREMACIST THAT IS A LIEAND ITS SLANDERING MY NAME&TUCSON BACK THE BLUE LINE CAMEUNDER ATTACK BY A POLITICALENTITY AS WELL AS MEPERSONALLY& THIS GROUPSUPPORTS LOCAL POLICEDEPARTMENTS AND DOES NOTTOLERATE RACIAL SLURS.

WE DOTHINGS BY THE LAW AND BY THEBOOKS&" THE ART APPROVAL HASSINCE BEEN REVOKED.

WE'VEREACHED OUT TO THE CITYMANAGER'S OFFICE AND CITY OFTUCSON ATTORNEY MIKE RANKINFOR COMMENT.

SO FAR, NEITHERHAVE REPLIED.

TAJA DAVIS,KGUN9OYS.LET'S MOVE TO THE BIGHORN