What’s the Paso Robles coveted recording mystery?

January 10, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis filed a claim for $2.275 million against the city alleging that Councilman Chris Bausch and others bullied and harassed him, a claim that multiple videos and recordings refute.

In his claim, Lewis included a lengthy list of instances of Bausch’s alleged bullying, defamation and harassment. Many of Lewis’ claims included references to statements made on local radio shows and at a pastry shop. However, audio recordings do not support Lewis’ allegations.

Lewis also wrote that CalCoastNews published a “false news article about my (Lewis) trying to dissuade Mr. Bausch from voting against paid parking.” However, in the article CalCoastNews accurately reports about the conversation and a statement made at a city council meeting.

Lewis, Bausch and Mayor John Hamon met at Angela’s Pastries on March 8. During the meeting, which was overheard by a reporter at an adjacent table, Lewis talked about the importance of putting out a positive image. Lewis appeared to chastise Bausch, saying the councilman was sending mixed messages to staff during city council meetings.

After Lewis filed his claim, both the Tribune and Templeton resident Clive Pinder made public records requests to the city for the recording made in March at the pastry shop. Both Bausch and a CalCoastNews reporter taped the meeting.

CalCoastNews published a 12-minute segment of the nearly hour-long recording on Dec. 18 with an article noting the recording refutes Lewis’ claim.

Less than a week later, the Tribune published a story suggesting the city broke the law by not sending the recording to the Tribune: “Paso Robles has not released leaked recording of meeting at bakery. Did it violate the law?”

The Tribune suggests that Bausch broke the law by providing the recording to CalCoastNews and not the Tribune. The reporters repeatedly demanded CalCoastNews provide information about its reporting while saying the tape was “leaked” to CalCoastNews.

Under the law, a tape made by a government official where they are discussing the people’s business is a public record. However, as the recording was made privately, there are no laws requiring it to be retained for a specific period of time or provided to the city unless requested, said David Loy, an attorney for the First Amendment Coalition.

As for the Tribune’s allegation the tape was “leaked” to CalCoastNews, reporters can ask a public official for records and are not required by law to file a Public Records Act request, Loy said.

Regarding demands that CalCoastNews provide the recording or details of its investigations, California has a reporter’s shield law that protects journalists from being forced to disclose sources or unpublished information.

CalCoastNews provided the 12-minute recording to show that Lewis’ claim that CalCoastNews published a false story was inaccurate. In response to the public interest in the recording, CalCoastNews is providing the full recording.

The Paso Robles City Council held a special closed session meeting on Tuesday to discuss a public records request from the Tribune asking Bausch to provide documents and the recording. On Wednesday, they met in a second special meeting in which Bausch agreed to collect the records and provide them to the Tribune in two weeks.

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