news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Several City Council members said Thursday they're not accusing colleague Dianne Bellamy-Small of leaking an investigative report on the administration of former police Chief David Wray to the News & Record.

Their statements come during a week when Bellamy-Small was the lone no vote against voluntary polygraph exams at council's Tuesday meeting and it was revealed Wednesday that she was the only council member not to submit a notarized affidavit stating she did not share or disclose the report.

Councilwoman Sandy Carmany said last month she was "95 percent certain" that another council member leaked the report. No council members have publicly pointed to Bellamy-Small as the source.

"We're not making an accusation. We haven't said that," Councilman Tom Phillips said. "We're trying to flush out that person (who leaked the report). Dianne has chosen not to participate. That doesn't mean she's guilty, but she needs to answer some questions. "

Before Tuesday's vote, Bellamy-Small said she was offended that people may think she was involved in leaking the report. She called the lie-detector tests divisive and a distraction from what she believes should be the focus on cleaning up the police department. Repeated attempts to contact her Wednesday and Thursday, including several visits to her home, were unsuccessful.

Several council members have said they believe leaking the report violated state law because it contains personnel information. State law says most information in an employee's personnel file is confidential and defines a personnel file as any information in any form related to the job performance of a current or former city employee.

Mayor Keith Holliday cautioned residents against making "assumptions based on the facts we have or don't have."

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything," Holliday said. "No council person has admitted to releasing the report. There is no direct evidence that any council person leaked the report. ... We're all innocent until proven guilty."

Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat doesn't believe Bellamy-Small is being targeted. She said that Phillips first raised the idea of polygraph tests shortly after the report was leaked before speculation centered on Bellamy-Small.

"I do not think anybody on the council is trying to pinpoint (the leak) on her," Anderson Groat said.

Submitting an affidavit and taking a polygraph test has nothing to do with accusing anyone, Councilwoman Yvonne Johnson.

"I don't know who to have an accusation against," she said. "I don't want there to be any doubt in anybody's mind that I would do anything that's risky to people or illegal."

Carmany agreed that she wouldn't consider the council's actions an accusation. "No council member has come out and named her."

Contact Eric Swensen at 373-7351 or eswensen@news-record.com