SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego City Attorney revealed to 10News that a confidential memo her office produced about the proposed Soccer City plan for Mission Valley was leaked to the developers behind the project.
"We're greatly concerned and absolutely outraged on many, many levels. It was clearly a document marked confidential," she said in an interview with 10News.
Elliott says the memo detailed several questions, concerns, and liabilities the city could face as it enters negotiations with Goal SD. The project would replace Qualcomm Stadium with a new stadium for a Major League Soccer team, as well as housing, shopping, and a public river park.
According to Elliott, the information in the confidential memo could help the developers negotiate a better deal against the city, therefore hurting San Diego taxpayers. "That's what the document's intended to do, help us get the best deal we can for taxpayers. So when we're compromised, as we have been, we're showing our cards. It's like a game. You're playing blackjack and you're showing your cards to the other side of the table and saying hey, here's the vulnerabilities, here are the areas where you can focus your dealing to get the best deal for your client."
Nick Stone, project manager for Goal SD, sent 10News a statement, reading in part:
"The document did not come to me from a city employee. Had I been aware that the memo was not intended to be made public, I would not have shared it with my attorney--and he certainly would not have referenced it in a public letter."
Elliott tells 10News the leak was a criminal act. She is calling for the person to resign. She has also called Stone to ask him how he obtained the memo. Elliott says a criminal investigation could be possible.
