wsbt.com

A series of letters show the South Bend Common Council wants to know much more about what's happening within Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office as he deals with the ongoing wiretapping scandal.

Last Wednesday, Aladean DeRose, interim city attorney, sent a letter to the Council notifying them that a box was delivered to city hall, sent from the United States Department of Justice.

DeRose wrote that she expected that the tapes she sent to the DOJ were contained in that box, which had not been opened.

“It was placed in a safe deposit box at a local bank today,” she wrote.

In another letter, Oliver Davis, Council vice president, followed up.

Among his questions:

• Where is the package?
• Under whose name is it being kept secure?
• Why was it not opened?
• Was there a letter with the box? What did it say?

Council president Derek Dieter pressed the mayor further Tuesday, asking if the city received any other correspondence related to the tapes.

Debra Johnson, Buttigieg’s director of communications, told WSBT on Tuesday that "the city is in contact with the DOJ to ensure that we receive all relevant information while still handling the package properly."

Mayor Buttigieg was attending the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina Tuesday, and was unavailable for comment.