Timeline: Richmond judge says evidence was destroyed in a whistleblower suit. How did we get here?
This stems from the missing cellphone of ex-city spokesperson Petula Burks, who fired Connie Clay, the city’s former Freedom of Information Act officer, in 2024.
2024
Jul 02
Richmond city spokesperson Petula Burks abruptly resigned Monday evening, 30 months after being hired to lead a communications and community engagement office created by Mayor Levar Stoney.
Aug 26
FOIA is intended to "ensure the people of the Commonwealth ready access to public records." But in Richmond, that “ready access” can come up against multiple barriers.
Oct 21
“It appears to me that the (Mayor Levar) Stoney administration is deliberately delaying the case and leaving it to the next administration to address,” Connie Clay said.
2025
Feb 05
In the order rejecting the city’s request, Judge Claire Cardwell wrote that “it may reasonably be inferred” Connie Clay’s dismissal was “retaliatory.”
Jun 27
The trial in the suit has yet to happen.
Aug 20
In a filing, attorneys for the city suggest Connie Clay's FOIA requests are intended to "embarrass" the city. Clay since June has received nearly 1,100 pages of documents.
Aug 26
During Monday’s pre-trial hearing in Connie Clay’s wrongful termination lawsuit, attorneys sparred over whether the city had turned over all relevant communications between Clay and her former boss, Petula Burks.
Sep 16
However, Clay’s lawyer accused Burks and her attorney of being uncooperative and walking out on a second day of deposition because a court reporter was two minutes late.
Oct 08
During a Sep. 24 hearing, Jimmy Robinson — an attorney representing the city — abruptly announced that Burks had lost her city-issued cellphone while traveling through a New York airport.
Nov 19
Judge Claire Cardwell during a Tuesday afternoon hearing reversed her decision to seal a filing in which Clay's attorney's asked that the city be sanctioned for not preserving texts and emails relevant to the case.
2026
Jan 16
That’s roughly $380,000 more than Connie Clay initially sought in her complaint. Clay claims she was fired by city officials for refusing to break public records laws.
Feb 17
In her deposition, former city spokesperson Petula Burks characterized City Hall’s FOIA process as deeply dysfunctional and galling to officials who were required by law to turn over documents.
Feb 19
Is Petula Burks’ lost cellphone in New York or Philadelphia? After a Wednesday hearing in Connie Clay's suit against the city, it's still not clear.
Mar 03
Judge Claire Cardwell on Monday sanctioned the city and its attorneys for failing to comply with court orders on document production.
As featured on
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi blamed the Youngkin administration for making especially partisan nominations in an effort to "whitewash history, bully college leaders and target students."
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.