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GREENSBORO — Witnesses saw former police Chief David Wray carrying boxes of "unknown files" from his office after being told of his pending administrative leave, a consultant hired to investigate Wray's administration said Friday.

Mike Longmire, of Risk Management Associates, said at a news conference his company returned to Wray's office to discover empty file cabinets and desk drawers.

"His office was cleaned out," Longmire said.

During an emotionally charged press conference Friday, city leaders released that tidbit along with other long-promised information about Wray's administration.

Later, in an interview, Wray attorney Ken Keller accused the city of playing election-year politics. Several candidates in the City Council elections have made the Wray situation an issue, Keller said.

Recent statements made by the mayor and the city manager are attempts to justify the city's actions, he said.

"I think what it boils down to is the city feels invested with the need to prove that David Wray did something so bad in order to justify the way he was treated," Keller said.

"They're riding the horse and continuing to ride it."

Friday's news conference, attended by all nine City Council members, was intended to show that City Manager Mitchell Johnson didn't engage in a "witch hunt" — in Johnson's words — against Wray.

Johnson challenged critics to prove he has a vendetta against Wray.

"I believe none of that can be supported and I know that none of it can — because it didn't happen," Johnson said.

The City Council voted unanimously Friday morning to release memos, internal reports and summaries of conversations between city attorneys and Wray's attorney, which are considered confidential under state law.

Mayor Keith Holliday said the board wanted to be as open as possible without compromising future investigations.

Wray resigned in 2006 after allegations that the department's special intelligence unit targeted black officers for unfair internal investigation. That, coupled with accusations of mismanagement, prompted Johnson to ask the city's legal office and private consulting firm RMA to ferret out what, if anything, ailed the department under Wray.

On Monday, two ex-members of the special intelligence unit were indicted on felony charges, culminating a yearlong investigation into alleged abuses of power.

The suspended officers, Sgt. William "Tom" Fox and Officer Scott E. Sanders, face charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Sanders also is charged with hacking into a computer issued to another local officer by the federal government.

Fox and Sanders turned themselves in to the Guilford County magistrate's office.

When asked Friday if there might be more indictments, Johnson said he was told by Senior Deputy Attorney General Jim Coman that he considers the investigation "fluid."

Johnson didn't elaborate.

Information released Friday included:

* A statement from Johnson that "no one was managing the process" when Wray was allowed to collect items from his office on Jan. 6, 2006.

Johnson called it a "snafu."

That contradicts previous claims that Johnson barred Wray from his office, something Wray's supporters say showed both disrespect and Johnson's eagerness to drive Wray from office.

The city did, however, change the locks to Wray's office.

Keller said Wray didn't keep "police-type files" in his office, so he wouldn't have taken any with him.

* An October 2005 memo from Wray to Johnson.

In it, Wray said the special intelligence unit acted properly during its investigation of police officers, something later refuted by RMA's investigation and the Monday indictments against Fox and Sanders.

City leaders say the memo shows Wray misled Johnson, a breach of trust that Wray couldn't overcome.

Keller said the issues with Fox and Sanders were "matters never raised with David," and something the SBI first informed Wray about.

* Longmire's recollection, which he presented during the news conference, that Johnson had to almost be prodded into taking action against Wray.

Longmire said his 2005 investigation revealed actions by Wray that were "deceptive, inaccurate and meant to mislead." As Longmire remembers it, Johnson said he was waiting for a plausible explanation from Wray.

Longmire said that at one point he asked Johnson what level of proof he would need to be comfortable with taking action against Wray. Johnson said he would have to be "absolutely convinced" before he took the next step, Longmire said.

Keller said Wray prepared a comprehensive response to the RMA report and asked Johnson, through another attorney, for the chance to present his side of the story to the City Council.

Keller said the offer wasn't accepted.

* A presentation from Lt. Gary Hastings of the Greensboro Police Department, who led the six-person review of the special intelligence unit.

Hastings said the review revealed the primary work of unit was investigating police officers — not investigating gangs and other dangerous people, the unit's mission.

Keller said when Wray was named chief of police, he was tasked by former City Manager Ed Kitchen to restore "lost integrity" to the department, which Wray was trying to do.

* Detailed information about Wray's last visit to City Hall as chief on Jan. 7, 2005, during which the city refused Wray's request that the city defend him personally in lawsuits brought against the department.

Keller said he believes Wray is entitled to this service and plans to take up the issue.

* Information it had previously released about Lt. James Hinson. RMA determined Wray ordered repeated investigations of Hinson, who is black, despite two investigations that cleared him of wrongdoing.

Johnson said Friday there's no information to warrant a new investigation of Hinson.

New questions about Hinson's behavior are being handled internally by the police department, Johnson said. Johnson didn't specify the nature of those questions, but Hinson is under investigation by the police department for his co-ownership of a group home for troubled girls.

Neither Johnson nor current Chief Tim Bellamy would elaborate on Friday.

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or mbanks@news-record.com