Redding, California- Danny Baugh, Redding’s former construction manager, called City Hall a “cornucopia of inappropriate e-mail” during interviews with investigators probing the affairs he conducted with three women during working hours from early 2006 through mid-August.
Baugh admitted to sharing nude or partially clothed photos of himself with his City Hall lovers and stored similar images on his city cell phone and his city computer, recently released investigative documents show. He also acknowledged passing on pornography sent to him from outside the building.
Baugh told investigators he was “weaned on pornography” from the moment he arrived at City Hall in October 2002 to supervise Big League Dreams sports park construction. The porn circulated among managers, top administrators and even City Council members, Baugh told private investigator Diane Davis, declining to name names.
Kurt Starman, the city manager, said he “disagrees with Mr. Baugh’s characterization of the use of e-mail,” noting the city took “swift and appropriate action” as soon as the affairs and the e-mail exchanges came to light this summer.
Mayor Mary Stegall said she is unaware of a porn problem at City Hall.
“No one has ever come to me and said they were concerned,” Stegall said. “If it was happening and I did not know about it, I don’t think it excuses anything.”
Baugh told investigators a friend in Colorado sometimes sent him porn and he sent it around City Hall. Others in the building — including “prominent people” — sent him porn in return.
Randy Bachman, the former assistant city manager, was in the porn loop along with Bachman’s lover at City Hall, who was also a friend of Baugh’s, documents show. Bachman, who had regularly played tennis and golf with Baugh, resigned in September after admitting to having an affair on city property.
In his interview with investigators, Bachman said some of Baugh’s porn made him uncomfortable. But there’s no indication Bachman tried to stop Baugh from sending the images and videos.
The other top administrators in the porn exchange have left the city, Baugh told investigators. He went out of his way to say Starman, the city manager, was never in on the porn.
“He (Starman) is a stellar individual and a good Christian man,” Baugh said in his interview.
The former construction manager retired in September after nearly five years of service with the city, telling the Record Searchlight his decision had nothing to do with the investigation into the affairs and other inappropriate workplace conduct.
Baugh told investigators the city got its money’s worth out of him, noting he regularly put in 11-hour days and worked through holidays, weekends and lunch.