By Bill Robinson
More than two developers would have responded to the county’s request for proposals to build a new family court building in Richmond, if they had believed “everyone would face a level playing field,” according to Mike Cope, who says he will challenge state Sen. Ed Worley, D-Richmond, in 2010.
Cope, who has filed with the state board of election finance to begin raising money for a potential challenge to Worley in the 2010 election, went before the city commission June 9 to complain about adjacent buildings being damaged by Downtown Holdings’ demolition of other structures to make way for a new family court building.
Downtown Holdings LLC is owned by Worley and Richmond attorney Michael Eaves.
Speaking to the city commission, Cope also claimed the family court building project lacked transparency.
“At the next commission meeting, Mike Eaves gave the commissioners an update on (the First Street project) and asked if they had any questions,” Worley said. “If we were doing something that wasn’t proper, would we be making all of this information public?”
Interviewed Wednesday, Cope said he believe Worley’s involvement in the project was “a blatant conflict of interest.”
“Given the political corruption we see today and Sen. Worley’s past problems with land deals, you’d think he know better than to be involved in something like this,” Cope said.
The legislative ethics code should be amended, Cope said, to prohibit legislators from doing business with the local governments and the judicial branch of state government.
He also disputed Worley’s claim that the idea of leasing the First Street property to the county for use by family court came about only recently.
“I think if you’ll dig a little deeper, you will find that his deal has been in the works for quite a long time,” he alleged.
If the courthouse annex (at the corner of Second and Irvine streets) does not have room for family court, “That shows a lack of foresight by the county,” Cope said.
Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark said the last vacant space in the annex soon is to be occupied by a state juvenile services office.
Cope said he intends to seek the Democratic nomination for Worley’s senate seat in the May primary.
“I will be in the senate race, but I don’t want my comments (about the First Street project) to be perceived as politically motivated,” Cope said.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
