Since then, two separate complaints related to the poll were dismissed by SanFord: One was filed in September by Chuck Theis, a political strategist who now leads communications for Council member Vincent C. Gray , against Bergmann and Duncan. The other complaint, against Silverman, was filed in December by Goulet, who formerly worked in Gray’s office and won a seat on the Ward 3 State Board of Education after losing his primary bid to join the council.
Similar to Marshall’s complaint, Thies had asked OCF to determine whether Bergmann and Duncan’s discussions with Silverman about the poll constituted an illegal, in-kind contribution. Goulet’s complaint, filed Dec. 14, also alleged illegal coordination. SanFord dismissed Thies’s complaint on March 16 and Goulet’s on Thursday.
Duncan, in an interview, said she was unsurprised that the complaint against her and Bergmann was dismissed, adding that she felt like she was in “limbo for months” considering that probe was launched in September. Bergmann likened it to a “lingering headache.” “I don’t think it was crazy to ask questions, but I do think the law was pretty clear,” Bergmann said. “OCF took our statements and held it open for months.”
Silverman was one of eight candidates in the November general election vying for two at-large seats on the council. Council member Anita Bonds easily won one of those seats, leaving Silverman in a tight race with Kenyan R. McDuffie for the other. Ultimately, McDuffie won by more than two percentage points.