In a heated meeting Wednesday, City Attorney Tearman Spencer defended one of his deputies who has come under fire for doing legal work while holding one of the top jobs in Milwaukee city government.
And Spencer fielded sharp criticism over his handling of a city contract for the Couture, a major and long-delayed downtown development.
Spencer's refusal to sign the contract could prompt a lawsuit from the developer and raises the need for the city to hire outside counsel, Ald. Nik Kovac said during a meeting of the Common Council's Finance and Personnel Committee Wednesday.
Spencer defended Deputy City Attorney Odalo Ohiku's outside work as a defense attorney, which included a four-day criminal jury trial last week at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.