Nkrumah lawsuit: $562K plus (Jack Bog's Blog)

The other shoe has dropped in the dispute between the City of Portland and Wade Nkrumah, the former spokesman to Mayor Creepy, mostly over comments that the mayor made after Nkrumah quit back in January. Nkrumah resigned because he disliked being lied to by his boss; the liar said something to the effect that Nkrumah couldn't handle the pressure of the job.

Now the former employee has sued the city for $162,000 in lost wages and $400,000 for pain and suffering. I don't know about that last part. If you can collect money just because the mayor caused you pain and suffering, I think we're all entitled to a six-figure compensation check from City Hall.

UPDATE, 5:30 p.m.: The full complaint is here. The damage claims stack up as $162,489.60 for the alleged defamation, and another $18,750 to which Nkrumah claims he was entitled because he worked for Adams late in 2008. Added to the $400,000 for pain and suffering, the grand total by our count is $581,239.60.

The lawsuit alleges in part that Nkrumah was wrongfully terminated from employment. Even though he quit, it said, conditions in Adams's employ were so intolerable that a reasonable person would have done so.

Comments (11)

I certainly experienced pain and suffering from the mental image of Sam Adams driving around with his pants unzipped.

Posted by ER | July 20, 2009 4:47 PM

I'm wondering if Bob Weaver is going to go to bat for the Mayor again, because when the Mayor asks you to represent him you just do it because he needs representation too. He clearly has time since he was passed over for the federal judgeship so I'm sure he's dying to help out old Sam again. Sam still has one house that's not in foreclosure, so it's not like he's destitute.

Posted by cbb | July 20, 2009 5:00 PM

Sam may be the most expensive mayor Portland's ever seen once we've added up the monetary, emotional and reputational damage resulting from his various sweetheart deals, pie in the sky schemes, distractions, trips, financial irresponsibility, lies and shenanigans.

Posted by NW Portlander | July 20, 2009 6:50 PM

Uh, I could be wrong, but I think we all get the lovely and unselfish pleasure of paying the attorney fees defending this case.

Thanks Sam, you A-hole. As if the taxes and b.s. city fees aren't enough, we get to bail you out again for another lapse in judgment.

Posted by Mike (the other one) | July 20, 2009 6:50 PM

So convince me if I'm wrong, but one part of his complaint is saying that the conditions were so stressful that he couldn't possibly continue working there, and then the other part of his complaint is that Sam ruined his rep by implying he couldn't handle the stress??

That being said, if Wade can sue for $580K, I shudder to contemplate what the sticker price on Bob Ball's inevitable lawsuit will be.

Posted by Dave J. | July 20, 2009 8:16 PM

Ball's lawsuit is soon forthcoming. Could two or more local politicians meet with Sam and explain a few things to him.

We can't afford him anymore just on the lawsuits coming besides the cost of his poor political decisions. Wait until Breedlove's lawsuit.

Posted by lw | July 20, 2009 8:59 PM

How many Sunday Parkways could've been funded with the funds the city will use to defend this?

Posted by just asking | July 20, 2009 10:24 PM

Nice touch starting off the complaint allegations with litany of Adams' violations of the city's Code of Ethics.

I don't see how "wrongful termination" is made under the facts -- he quit (smartly) -- but the defamation claims look solid (especially the "false light"), and the unpaid wages claim of $18k is either a slam-dunk or a non-starter, depending on what the facts actually are and what gets "proven."

City's insurance, if any, probably doesn't provide for defense of intentional torts such as defamation. If Council approves paying for those defense costs, it'll provide more fuel to the recall engine.

What settlement figure do folks here guess is the magic number to make this case go away? $100k? $150k?

What'll the depositions and private investigations get cranking. $200k?

Posted by Mojo | July 20, 2009 11:37 PM

Look out Nkumah, Sam will sick his attack dogs on you. The man has no shame.
Remember never trust a man who has never held a real job.

Posted by gg | July 21, 2009 3:43 AM

Nkumah's lawyer, Mike Hanlon, is a hell of a lawyer and does not just go off half-cocked. This is going to be expensive and wait, just wait, for Beu's lawsuite, that one will be a dozzy.Slam, Bam!thank you Sam

Posted by m | July 21, 2009 10:18 AM

Sarah Palin claims, in part, to have resigned as Alaska governor because of the expense the State of Alaska was incurring defending multitudinous allegedly meritless lawsuits.

Wouldn't it be nice is Adams had the same class and dedication to the financial well being of the government as Sarah Palin?

I won't hold my breath.

Posted by Nonny Mouse | July 21, 2009 1:59 PM

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Nkrumah lawsuit: $562K plus

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