Tribune backtracks on Paso Robles conspiracy reporting

July 1, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

After reviewing thousands of emails and text messages Paso Robles Councilman Chris Bausch provided, Tribune staff has admitted there is no smoking gun that exposes an alleged conspiracy against former City Manager Ty Lewis.

When Lewis failed to receive a settlement from the city over alleged work-related stress, he revised his claim against the city in Oct. 2024 to include allegations of harassment and a conspiracy against him. A couple running a cannabis business, Grace and Ernest Hall, were Lewis’ witnesses that Bausch and a CalCoastNews reporter had hosted meetings in an attempt to disparage Lewis.

Earlier this year, Grace Hall admitted that neither she nor her husband were aware of any meetings.

“No, I never said you’re hosting meetings,” Grace Hall told the reporter on KPRL. “My husband never said you’re hosting meetings. I never said that.”

The Tribune filed a lawsuit against Bausch and the City of Paso Robles in February in an attempt to force Bausch to abide by the Public Records Act.

In his defense, Bausch said the Tribune had buried him in record’s requests. In a little over four months, Tribune reporters made over 19 records requests that according to Bausch included more than 700 searches.

Tribune reporters asserted that the records they were seeking would support Lewis’ conspiracy claim.

Instead of revealing a conspiracy to oust Lewis from office, the records show a group of citizens primarily discussing politics and the city’s controversial paid parking program.

In a June 26 article regarding the emails and texts, Tribune reporter Chloe Jones wrote, “Few comments were made about Ernest and Grace Hall, the cannabis business owners who said they witnessed conspiracy against Lewis.”

Jones, however, failed to mention Grace Hall’s statements on KPRL that she was unaware of any meeting hosted by Bausch and the CalCoastNews reporter.

Another area in which Jones’ article appears to rewrite history is in regards to a meeting Bausch and Lewis attended on March, 8, 2024 at Angela’s Pastries. In her June 26 article, Jones writes that Lewis told her in Oct. 2024 that the CalCoastNews reporter stared at him throughout the meeting.

However, after learning a CalCoastNews reporter overheard their conversation at the pastry shop, Lewis initially accused the reporter of lying about being there. He then sent an email accusing the reporter of sitting at a table with two of the opponents of the contested paid parking program – Gary Lehrer and John Roush.

Despite learning the reporter was not at a table with Lehrer and Roush, Lewis continued making unfounded accusations.

“But because you were at separate tables that lends credibility to your narrative?” Lewis wrote in a March 22 email. “Understood. ‘If we all walk in at different times, they’ll never suspect an ambush an attempt at gotcha journalism.’”

At a hearing on June 27, an attorney for the Tribune argued there appears to be gaps in the emails and text messages Bausch provided. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Michael Kelley asked what they thought was missing, a question they could not answer.

Judge Kelley said the parties need to meet outside of the courtroom to discuss the records. He then set a discovery hearing for Sept. 23.

If public officials fail to abide by the California Public Records Act, the requester can file a lawsuit asking the court to order the official to turn over documents. In most cases, the judge then allows the plaintiff to seek legal fees and court costs.

Judge Kelley previously set a hearing for Nov. 4 to look at the merits of the Tribune’s lawsuit.

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