Samuel B. Parker
@SamuelParkerRTD
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Reporter for @RTDNews . Believer in human progress. Probably watching the Chicago Cubs. Samuel ≠ Sam | 📧 sparker @timesdispatch .com
Richmond, VA
Joined June 2023
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Yesterday, Mayor Stoney asked me if I’d met with officials to discuss issues with the city’s credit card program.
But those interviews are set up by City Hall, which still has not granted my July 9 request for them. I explained that to him.
Stoney said “okay” and moved on.
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Officers move in. Pepper spray has been deployed and protesters threw bottles and other projectiles at officers.
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There are far more people here now than there were when this started. Can’t imagine that was the intention.
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Heavy police presence just arrived on VCU’s Monroe Campus, where hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters have set up a makeshift encampment.
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Police began dissembling tents and forming another line to take on protesters, many of whom have not left the scene.
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Arrests, part 3. At least six that I’ve seen, but hearing of more. Hard to breathe or count through the tear gas.
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“You don’t have to do this,” protesters are shouting. “You’re on the wrong side of history.”
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Police and protesters have reassembled. VSP has arrived. VCU police are declaring an unlawful assembly as I type. They’re threatening to use chemical agents.
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As police corner protesters, some officers push the press back.
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A trash truck has arrived and law enforcement has begun disassembling the camp as chants continue and the crowd grows.
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At least one arrest has been made, per
@luca_a_powell
. Emergency sirens have been activated.
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Police appear to be negotiating with some of the protest organizers now. Things are at a standstill for the moment. Still hundreds of protesters on scene.
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Pro-Palestine protesters have shut down portions of Belvidere Street in downtown Richmond as they head from VCU campus to Sen. Tim Kaine’s office.
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A bus with VCU police and multiple Richmond police squad cars are at the scene. Cops appear to be staging and have not yet issued any commands.
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Officers have moved into position and disassembled the makeshift barricade.
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Two weeks ago at a fentanyl awareness event,
@GovernorVA
referenced “outside entities” funding and supplying pro-Palestine protesters on Virginia college campuses.
I asked a spokesperson for clarification on this, and was referred to “local authorities.”
So I asked a few.
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Outside the Greater Richmond Convention Center, where several hundred
@VCU
students walked out of their graduation ceremony when
@GovernorVA
began delivering his keynote address.
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As far as Richmond is concerned, it’s not clear what Gov. Youngkin is referring to.
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A
@RichmondPolice
spokesperson said the department “has not conducted investigations of funding, if any, to organizers or others engaged in exercising their First Amendment rights to demonstrate in the city of Richmond.”
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Richmond's open data laws require the city to publish and maintain a free, public database that tracks government spending.
Code dictates the database be updated monthly. But the most recent available data is from spring 2019 — over 5 years ago.
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As part of our investigation into city credit card use, I've unearthed more examples of apparent policy violations.
But I can't confirm whether officials knew rules were broken because nobody at City Hall has answered my phone calls or emails in weeks.
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On Friday, I read an online DEQ report on a recent incident in which 2,000 gallons of backwash water overflowed a sewage treatment plant into the James River. Oddly, the report said the spill was NOT sewage related. So I asked about it.
Then something weird happened ...
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The day after we reported that Richmond officials are not complying with city code that requires them to maintain a public database to track government spending, that database disappeared altogether.
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Public records are aptly named. They belong to the people: taxpayers, voters, constituents.
Today, we published a database of Richmond officials’ 2023 credit card spending — an overview of documents we’ve used in our reporting.
They belong to you.
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The John Marshall courthouse has no storage lockers for prohibited electronic devices like cellphones, contrary to claims on the city's website.
People are finding out the hard way, hiding their phones in the bushes outside as a last resort.
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Every time I see anti-biker stuff, it actually shows bikers following the rules and everyone else abusing them.
Don’t drive or stand in bike lanes, and there won’t be a problem!
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Richmond freelance journalist Jimmie Lee Jarvis was arraigned Monday on charges of making a bomb threat in connection to a Sep. 22 post he made on X.
Jarvis said the post was satire. His lawyer says its a violation of his First Amendment right.
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Moral of the story: very, VERY basic coding awareness can go a long way.
Also: read about how the total volume of Richmond's sewage overflow in 2024 has already tripled all of last year's total.
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City officials conducted searches of employee desks in Richmond's Finance Department, a union rep tells me. She said the employees' locks were picked while they were not present.
It's not clear what officials were looking for.
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The city in 2022 spent nearly $8,000 to send ex spokesperson Petula Burks to an executive leadership training program at Oxford University in England, records show.
Asked why, officials said that Burks "no longer works for the city."
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Richmond General Registrar Balmer on Wednesday told us he "cannot conduct the upcoming election" without his credit card, which has been suspended amid allegations of misuse.
But asked for clarification, he said he'd conduct the election "p-card or not."
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Former communications director Petula Burks was not the only city employee to award contracts to her Florida-based ex business partner, Cameus Chicoye.
Documents show that Chicoye has received over $340,000 from three different city offices since 2022.
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Refusing to even respond to reporters when they ask tough and important questions about government operations does not create an environment of transparency.
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I asked officials about this yesterday. This morning, all the spending data has disappeared — hidden behind this webpage:
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Asked about this, the court clerk's office referred me to the sheriff's office, which referred me to City Hall, which has not responded to a request for comment.
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A lot of talk about “free press” at the White House correspondents’ dinner.
Julian Assange would like a word.
NBC's
@KellyO
to Biden and Kamala: "We welcome you as we celebrate freedoms that are both enduring and repeatedly tested. Your presence here speaks clearly and loudly about the essential connection between a free press, freedom of speech, and the democracy we value"
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Richmond CAO Lincoln Saunders said the database was too difficult to maintain and posed a security risk.
But he didn't say whether those concerns entitle him to entirely disregard city code. And other cities (like Boston) publish similar databases apparently without issue.
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When will Richmond's beloved Pipeline Trail reopen to the public?
Over a month later, officials still say they have no idea.
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All 5 of Richmond's mayoral candidates promised me that, if elected, they will not seek higher office while serving as mayor — and questioned whether it is possible to perform mayoral functions and run a statewide campaign simultaneously.
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Among other things I’d ask officials: for people who can’t drive, can’t afford a car or simply prefer public transit/ridesharing, what options exist?
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.
@RTDMPW
: "City Hall, hit with questions about this dysfunction and lack of transparency, have stonewalled Parker.
Officials are counting on us to look the other way ... This silence is not a good look for an ambitious mayor."
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ALSO: following the news conference, I said Stoney had confirmed that restaurants involved in the meals tax fiasco had been “made” to sign NDAs regarding their settlements.
A spokesperson corrected me: they were not “made,” he said. They were “asked.”
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Since Oct. 7, I have spent most of my time talking with Virginians — Jews, Palestinians, and others — about the events unfolding in Israel and Gaza.
In this thread, I've posted some of the more vulnerable and interesting stories people have shared with me.
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Traffic on 9th Street near Main Street is at a standstill.
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In a July 25 letter to staff, Richmond Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders vowed to tell the city's story "more aggressively" going forward and to "set the record straight" on "inaccurate" reporting.
But he hasn't responded to any of my inquiries since then.
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🧵FOIA Fight:
Last week, I submitted a FOIA request to the city of Richmond, seeking internal emails related to the recent resignation of city spokesperson Petula Burks.
City FOIA officers sent over the emails on Wednesday. But then …
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Richmond CAO Lincoln Saunders, tasked with overseeing the database, said he plans to approach City Council and request changes to the city's open data code.
But some City Council members told me: no way.
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Saunders also said he'd ask City Council to change sections of code related to the city's open data policy.
But if City Hall can bypass those rules anyway, I'm not sure why they'd seek the changes.
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Amid Richmond officials' silence regarding our investigation into city credit card use, I conducted my own review of the program.
After digging through over 23,000 transactions worth nearly $12M made by 336 different people, here's what I found:
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"Would you keep the current Chief Administrative Officer (Lincoln Saunders)?
Addison: 'No.'
Avula: 'I will do a national search for a new CAO – so, no.'
Mosby: 'No.'
Neblett: 'No.'
Roday: 'I would not.'"
Real estate taxes, procurement cards and the CAO are topics of Richmond mayoral forum
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Missed deadlines. Exorbitant fees. Chronic extensions. Exemptions.
The purpose of Virginia's FOIA is to ensure "ready access" to public records, but in Richmond, that "ready access" can come up against multiple barriers.
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The city's administrative regulations stress the importance of responding "promptly" to press questions.
And yet nobody in the office of communications has returned my numerous phone calls and emails since July 9.
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City spokesperson Petula Burks used her city credit card to spend nearly ~$100K at firms operated by her former business partner in 2023, records show.
Instead of answering my questions on the story, city officials on Monday told me Burks was resigning.
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I took a look at the XML sitemap for the report webpage and saw that it had been modified at 3:24 p.m. Monday — well after I'd asked about the report and shortly before the spokesperson reached out to me.
I sent a screenshot of the sitemap and asked about the modification.
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A group of about 50 people is marching to Abner Clay Park. They say they are protesting the position of the Youngkin administration on police responses to pro-Palestine demonstrations on Virginia college campuses.
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Looks like the website has been updated to remove the incorrect information on the lockers.
Our work here is done … sort of. Still wondering about options for people who can’t drive to court.
The John Marshall courthouse has no storage lockers for prohibited electronic devices like cellphones, contrary to claims on the city's website.
People are finding out the hard way, hiding their phones in the bushes outside as a last resort.
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A union rep claims the five employees recently fired from Richmond's finance department were "denied union representation."
A city spokesperson said she could not comment on "personnel matters," but said the city has "fully complied" with contract terms.
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As protesters walked down Main Street, someone in an apartment above threw at least three eggs into the crowd.
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Richmond spokesperson Petula Burks' city credit card has been suspended for 11 months due to unpaid balances and accidental use for a personal expense, documents show.
It is among at least 3 city credit cards to be suspended in the last year.
@RTDNEWS
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1) Solid reporting by Tyler here.
2) Nobody who uses FOIA in Richmond will be even a little bit surprised by it.
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The city responded with a statement a few hours after our report published this morning. The statement did not address our July 9 questions.
Updated here:
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The spokesperson confirmed: the report had been updated Monday to reflect the fact that the spill was, indeed, sewage-related. She apologized for the confusion and thanked me for bringing the mistake to their attention.
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Backwash water is water that is channeled through a sewage treatment system to clear accumulated debris. In other words: it's water with sewage in it.
My question about the classification of the spill went unanswered Friday, so we published our report on Monday morning.
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Today, we reported that some officials knew for months about an “extended pattern of misuse” of Burks’ purchasing card. But getting any specific answers to our questions has been very difficult:
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The union rep called the searches "intimidation." The city has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
The department is under review by an outside agency, but it's not clear whether the searches are related to that review.
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A DEQ spokesperson reached out to me a few hours later. She said the report clearly showed the spill had been marked sewage-related. I checked the report again and, sure enough, it now indicated that the spill was sewage related.
Did I get it wrong? No, as it turns out.
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The protesters’ strategy is to have a crew of bike marshals shut down surrounding roads to prevent traffic from getting through.
Unclear whether permits have been obtained for this. Richmond police have said protesters have not obtained permits for prior events.
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Amidst allegations of financial impropriety, officials suspended Registrar Balmer's city credit card on Thursday — nearly a month after I submitted a FOIA request for the card's transaction log.
Here's a breakdown of Balmer's ~$70,000 in 2023 charges:
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Questions: what is the nature of Burks' and Chicoye's relatinship? Were ethics and conflict rules broken? Why were local firms not hired for these services?
Answers: no idea. Still no comment from the city.
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Em’s brilliant work has helped Richmond residents keep up with the goings-on of local government. I’ve watched her hunt down countless stories, providing clarity and accountability on even the most complex topics.
Proud to call her a colleague.
🧵Axios Richmond reported today that the RTD no longer staffs city council meetings. As the city reporter, I'd like to clarify that we do, in fact, cover these meetings.
If you'd like to take a look at what the council has been up to this year, here is my extensive coverage:
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The RRHA continued to do business with a company for months after the president of that company was appointed to the RRHA board, documents show.
RRHA's CEO didn't think the relationship violated ethics rules, but acknowledged it was not "best practices."
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In moments like these, remember the people of goodwill.
Remember the love and support of family and friends. Remember the warmth and familiarity of neighbors. Remember the kindness and courtesy of strangers.
Most of us are trying to be and to do good.
What follows from this incident will depend in part on the way the nation’s leaders react,
@GrahamDavidA
writes.
“Political scientists have found that even voters who hold antidemocratic attitudes are influenced strongly by top political figures. In this fragile moment, the
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Ex city spokesperson Petula Burks, who resigned amid questions surrounding the use of her city credit card, received over $14K in severance pay upon her departure from her city post.
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Chicoye set up an LLC in Richmond shortly after Burks was hired. Public records indicate the address for that firm is inside a Staples in Willow Lawn.
Staples offers a service that allows owners to register their businesses in Va. by setting up mailing addresses in the state.
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Amid questions about city credit card use, officials are moving forward with plans to review and reformat the procurement department.
I've called officials five times since yesterday morning for details on those plans, but have not received a response.
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It's kind of like a PO box ... except it's not a PO box, because it's not legal to set up a business in Virginia using a PO box, an SCC source tells me.
But the Staples route is totally legal, apparently.
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Police have arrived on the scene, but have not interacted with the protesters.
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Dozens of pro-Palestine protesters packed a Richmond courtroom Friday morning to support 12 of the individuals who were arrested during last week’s demonstrations on VCU campus.
The suspects have been charged with unlawful assembly and trespassing.
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Exceptional work here by
@hayleighcolombo
and
@luca_a_powell
.
Virginia's
@USPS
ranks dead last — 50 out of 50 U.S. states — in mail delivery and efficiency, and Virginians deserve to know why.
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Richmond police now have squad cars both in front of and behind the crowd. Still no interaction between officers and protesters.
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Authorities on Monday announced they had solved one of the infamous Colonial Parkway murders — a series of brutal double homicides in eastern Virginia that has stymied detectives since the late 1980s.
Their suspect, Alan Wilmer Sr., died in 2017.
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The beach has been closed since early July, when a sewer pipe leak into the James River prompted a public safety advisory.
Officials say it will remain closed as they explore "long-term solutions." Asked whether that exploration process has begun, they did not respond.
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Despite only making up 7% of the U.S. population, Black women account for 18% of missing persons.
Last week, Petersburg police and the NAACP partnered to establish a dedicated fund to help highlight the cases of and find missing Black women in Virginia.
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We obtained a copy of the NDA some Richmond restaurant owners signed while resolving meals tax disputes.
Officials say the NDA was meant to protect sensitive tax info. But the Virginia Restaurant Association director says it was meant to "shut (them) up."
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Officials also did not answer questions on why Burks didn't attend one of the numerous such courses in Virginia, why the city hired Burks if she needed extensive professional development, and whether other city employees have participated in the same program.
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Officials would not say who authorized the trip, but internal emails show Burks planned to alert Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders of her travel plans beforehand.
Saunders did not respond to questions. And a city spokesperson simply said "Burks has since resigned."
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It’s hard to accurately put into words how dangerous and disturbing this is.
BREAKING: Israeli officials seize AP equipment and take down live shot of northern Gaza, citing new media law.
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