The mysterious “Whitmergate” case came to a sharp, sudden end with the March 20 firing of R. Lamar Whitmer, Mayor Lisa Borowsky’s chief of staff since Oct. 6.
City Manager Greg Caton suspended Whitmer with pay Jan. 14; for two months, the city would only say the investigation was over “allegations of policy violations.”
But, after confirming Whitmer’s termination, the city released a report on the investigation, detailing many charges, including Whitmer’s “unprofessional and offensive comments” and inappropriate behavior at City Hall – as well as Whitmer abusing his power and violating city rules with repeated “political activity.”
The allegations investigated by the city’s Human Resources Department ranged from trying to avoid paying a parking ticket to soliciting a campaign donation in return for the mayor cooperating with Axon’s development plan.
The investigation by the city’s Human Resources deemed seven of nine allegations “substantiated.” The other two, including the Axon-donation allegation, were ruled “not substantiated.”
A heavily-redacted copy of the report provided by Caton’s office lists 17 people who were interviewed – but only Whitmer and City Clerk Ben Lane are identified. The other names are blacked out.
Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas – one-quarter of the City Council “bloc” that Whitmer has railed against – said numerous complaints demanded a thorough investigation of Whitmer.
“The report shows the mayor’s chief of staff engaged in a shockingly wide range of unacceptable matters in just four short months,” Dubauskas said.
“It is unfortunate and extremely disappointing. Scottsdale deserves better.”
But one of her colleagues, Councilwoman Mary McAllen, said she has questions about the investigation: “it is completely concerning how it was handled.”
Indeed, a representative of the Arizona NAACP told the Progress the report wildly mischaracterized a meeting with Whitmer and Borowsky.
According to Arizona NAACP Vice President Rev. Andre Miller, rather than engaging in “political activity,” as the report concludes, Whitmer helped ease tensions – after the NAACP fumed out of a previous meeting with Caton.
Whitmer and his attorney, Dennis Wilenchik, have not responded to a request for comment on the report or the termination.
A statement by Borowsky implied “petty politics” led to the firing.
Holly Peralta, a city spokeswoman, said Caton appropriately used his power to terminate Whitmer. “As provided for in the City Charter, the chief of staff reports to the city manager because the Scottsdale City Charter places all administrative and personnel authority, except for the other charter officers and their employees, under the city manager.
“It does not grant the mayor any independent power to hire, fire, or supervise city employees,” Peralta added. “Since the chief of staff is a city employee within the administrative structure, he falls under the city manager’s supervisory authority.”
The report delivered to Caton hours before Whitmer’s dismissal also stated Whitmer flashed his business card and name-dropped powerful city people in an attempt to get out of a parking ticket.
The conclusion of an executive summary provided to Caton:
“The investigation found multiple substantiated violations of the Scottsdale Revised Code and Administrative Regulations, including unprofessional conduct, insubordination, violations involving a potential recall petition, misuse of his position, conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest, and lack of cooperation with an official investigation.
“A couple allegations were unsubstantiated due to insufficient evidence, but the overall pattern reflects significant lapses in judgment, ethical standards, and compliance with City policies.”
An allegation that Whitmer pressed Axon for a campaign donation in return for a vote by Borowsky – potentially a criminal offense – was “not substantiated.” Also “not substantiated” was a complaint over “use of city office for HOA matters.”
But Whitmer was found to be part of a group that has been doing ads slamming the City Council “bloc” – and engaged in other inappropriate “political activity” by trying to head off a petition aimed at recalling Borowsky.
“To be clear, I do not condone inappropriate workplace conversations, did not witness them and would not tolerate them,” Borowsky said, in a statement shortly after Whitmer’s March 20 termination.
“Furthermore, I fully believe workplace rules should be followed, public trust should never be abused, and this has been fully communicated to my staff,” Borowsky added.
Though she did not state who Whitmer’s successor will be, Borowsky said she hoped his replacement “will be allowed to fulfill the responsibilities of a chief of staff to a mayor – including speaking with city staff.”
Somewhat downplaying the report, Borowsky stated Scottsdale residents “deserve to move past petty politics and move forward in a manner befitting the history and expectations of the city of Scottsdale.”
A report on the investigation shows numerous complaints of Whitmer telling “offensive” jokes and stories. One “sustained” allegation had Whitmer cracking to a female city employee outside Assistant City Manager Jeff Walther’s closed door, “What’s he doing, watching porn in there?”
Whitmer admitted to several of the statements, according to the report, and “used profanity during the interview.”
Though the report states numerous “witnesses”made complaints and talked to investigators, most names were redacted.
Only Lane is named as one of the witnesses.
The mild-mannered city clerk played a starring role in several allegations.
“Mr. Lane alleged that Mr. Whitmer had told him several offensive stories involving race or ethnicity but could only recall the details of one joke involving a Hispanic male and a donkey,” the report states.
“Mr. Whitmer denied telling any offensive jokes to Mr. Lane, adding ‘I never made such a statement. That is complete (nonsense)’.”
On another occasion, according to the report, “Mr. Whitmer is alleged to have told a story regarding a Navajo tradition of rolling nude in the snow. It was alleged that Mr. Whitmer made the statement that if he did that, he would be ‘as red as an Indian.’
“Mr. Whitmer admitted to making that statement but believed it was appropriate and professional because he was merely recounting the comments made to him by a Native American.”
And, “Following mandatory training regarding human trafficking, Mr. Whitmer is alleged to have told a female staff member that his ex-girlfriends probably felt like they had been trafficked. Mr. Whitmer denied making this statement, claiming that his comment was that he felt ‘groomed’.”
NAACP meeting
At a contentious February 2025 Scottsdale City Council meeting, as Councilman Adam Kwasman was explaining his support of equality and equal justice in Scottsdale, Miller called out “You’re a liar!”
Miller, who is pastor of Mesa’s New Beginnings Christian Church, told the Progress his organization originally faulted Borowsky for joining “the bloc” in a vote to eliminate city-funded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
After being told the Arizona NAACP would have to wait at least six months into Borowsky’s term to start a recall, Miller followed up in early 2026.
According to the Whitmer investigation, “Lane provided the petition and associated information and notified Mayor Borowsky of the request and the name of the requestor. Mr. Lane alleged that after notifying Mayor Borowsky of the request, he was contacted by Mr. Whitmer that same day regarding the petition request.
“Mr. Lane stated that he was unable to discuss the matter because it was election related and city employees ‘can’t be involved with elections, and I need to work directly with the Mayor
on this.’”
Whitmer disagreed with Lane’s view, according to the report, and asked for the Arizona NAACP representative’s contact information – which Lane refused to provide.
In January, after learning of Whitmer’s suspension, Miller and the Arizona NAACP said Caton was the one who should resign – or be fired.
Miller told the Progress his group left a meeting with Caton furious that he was “certainly not receptive to the angst in his community as shared from various viewpoints.”
A big part of a subsequent meeting with Borowsky and Whitmer was because the Arizona NAACP got nowhere with the dismissive Caton, Miller said.
After being shown the Whitmer investigation’s summary of the meeting and conclusion Whitmer engaged in “political activity,” Miller said he was stunned.
“The Arizona NAACP was not questioned as a part of this (Whitmer) investigation,” Miller said.
“The meeting was not political in nature, but instead addressed concerns we previously had with the city manager, Mr. Caton, about inclusion and the culture of Scottsdale …
“At no time,” Miller stressed, “did Mr. Whitmer imply favors, nor did he bring up the (Borowsky) recall packet.”
After a meeting with Borowsky and Whitmer that was positive, Miller said, “The NAACP as an organization did not pull a recall packet.”
According to the Whitmer report, investigators spoke to two people present at the NAACP-Borowsky-Whitmer meeting.
One, whose name was redacted, “was asked by Human Resources if in his opinion, this meeting would be considered political activity, he responded, ‘No, one, because I wasn’t aware of the recall petition being called, being pulled, did not know that until he said that, and two, the initial conversation was really around DEI policies so that was official city business …’”
This individual also stated that “he felt the meeting was an appropriate venue to discuss the DEI policy changes and the mayor’s reasons for supporting the changes. (Name redacted) stated that he didn’t think that it was a political conversation, adding ‘I think they were using that (the recall petition) as a threat, quite frankly.’”
According to the report, when questioned if he met with the NAACP about the recall petition, “Whitmer responded, ‘What petition?’ adding ‘the petition that he didn’t take out? No.’
“Then Mr. Whitmer stated that ‘we met with him, we resolved the issues…,’ that (name redacted) requested the mayor to make a proclamation or letter that Scottsdale is an inclusive city, and ‘we agreed to do that, and he also asked if we could put together a Juneteenth committee within the city and outside the city and he asked me if I would make that happen, and I said that I would be happy to.’”
The Progress asked Caton’s office why Miller was not interviewed about the meeting – and how the investigators concluded Whitmer engaged in “political activity” during the meeting, when the two people at the meeting interviewed by HR both denied it was political.
“As it is a personnel investigation, the city will not be providing further comment at this time,” Peralta responded.
“The city is in the process of reviewing supporting documents and exhibits and will release those when available.”
‘Hit ads’
The report states Whitmer “engaged in political activity in violation of City Code, created an appearance of impropriety and used his position to influence a City process or decision.”
The summary report of the investigation also “sustained” allegations Whitmer engaged in “outside employment/volunteer activity of enterprise inconsistent or incompatible with city duties or responsibilities/conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest.”
This charge included Whitmer’s involvement with a group that has been running “political hit ads” in the Progress and elsewhere.
According to the report, “The allegation that Mr. Whitmer’s activities with The Alliance for Scottsdale’s Future are inconsistent or incompatible with his City duties and responsibilities and also constitute a conflict of interest or an appearance of a conflict of interest with his city employment is substantiated.
“Mr. Whitmer’s involvement with the Alliance, which placed several ads targeting City Councilmembers for criticism and implying criticism of City government as a whole, undermines public confidence in City government, governmental integrity and the efficient delivery of governmental services.”
In his interview with HR, Whitmer acknowledged he was one of the founding members of the Alliance, but insisted it was not a political action committee.
“When asked if he had any role in the creation or dissemination of the ads, Mr. Whitmer interrupted the investigator and stated again that his activities with the Alliance are ‘outside my scope and role as a City employee.’
“Mr. Whitmer said that he had discussed this with (interim City Attorney Luis) Santaella and likened his activities to those of the Police and Firefighter nonprofits that are used to educate the public on various issues.”
An unnamed witness told the investigators he “100%” believed the Alliance participated in political activity and stated that he had observed an Alliance ad on Mr. Whitmer’s private computer in Mr. Whitmer’s office during work hours.”
Axon allegation
The report states the city’s Human Resources staff “conducted interviews with 17 individuals, reviewed training records, email/computer usage, and relevant documents.”
Two allegations were determined “not substantiated,” including an allegation that Whitmer demanded a campaign contribution in return for a key vote on Axon.
This allegation likely was related to a “recess” Borowsky called during a Nov. 21, 2025, council meeting on a city-Axon memorandum of understanding, in which the Taser maker would scale back its plan for 1,900 apartments in return for lifting water requirements and other concessions.
Borowsky appeared to be leaning to rejecting the deal, but, after the recess, cast the deciding vote. (Dubauskas, Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield voted against the deal.)
“Although a secondhand account suggested inappropriate discussion of campaign contributions, Axon representatives declined interviews and no corroborating evidence was obtained,” the report states.
The conclusion of the report’s “executive summary”:
“The investigation found multiple substantiated violations of the Scottsdale Revised Code and Administrative Regulations, including unprofessional conduct, insubordination, violations involving a potential recall petition, misuse of his position, conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest, and lack of cooperation with an official investigation.”
According to his curriculum vitae, “R. Lamar Whitmer is the sole owner of the Fulcrum Group, an international consulting practice founded in 1987 and based out of Scottsdale, Arizona.”
He said his clients include “several publicly traded companies, privately held international based companies, governments and sophisticated investors.”
The investigation that led to Whitmer’s firing ruled, “The allegation that Mr. Whitmer participated in unauthorized outside employment is substantiated.
“Mr. Whitmer stated that The Fulcrum Group has been inactive during his employment with the City of Scottsdale. However, he sent multiple emails from The Fulcrum Group email domain displaying The Fulcrum Group logo, twice while on City Paid Non-Discipline Leave … and on two other occasions.”
‘Carlson balancing test’
According to Peralta, “Ben Lane’s name was not redacted because of his rank as a charter officer. We will not release an unredacted report.”
When the Progress asked what the city was citing in the redactions, the city spokeswoman replied:
“The Carlson balancing test.”
This stems from a 1984 court ruling that also was cited in a 2024 Goldwater Institute lawsuit charging Phoenix was illegally withholding documents regarding police labor negotiations.
After losing the lawsuit, Goldwater appealed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, where Judge Danielle J. Viola wrote, “The Carlson balancing test provides that: [t]o justify withholding public documents, the. . . interest in non-disclosure must ‘outweigh the general policy of open access.’
“It is the public official’s burden to ‘demonstrate specifically how production of the records would violate rights of privacy or confidentiality or would be detrimental to the best interests of the state.’
“A party seeking to block disclosure must, under Carlson, demonstrate ‘the probability that specific, material harm will result from disclosure.’”
The Progress asked Caton’s office to follow the above and provide rationale for citing Carlson.
“We stand by our report redactions,” Peralta responded, without providing what “specific, material harm” might result from disclosing names.
One of the allegations against Whitmer that was dismissed was that he used his city office to attend a personal hearing related to a dispute with his homeowner’s association.
According to the investigation summary, “On Jan. 27, 2026, Council member (name redacted) received an email from (name of Whitmer’s neighbor redacted) alleged that Mr. Whitmer had attended a recent Zoom meeting regarding a personal court action related to the HOA. (name of Whitmer’s neighbor redacted) stated in his email, ‘Can you imagine how pissed off I was as a long time Scottsdale resident, business owner and tax payor (sic) to sit in on one of his most recent zoom court actions against the HOA and see him sitting behind his city hall desk as chief of staff during office hours dealing with his personal HOA attacks! Did he clock out? Take PTO?’
“Council member (name redacted) forwarded the email to Mr. Caton.”
On Jan. 27, Councilman Barry Graham forwarded the email quoted from above to the Progress.
After the report was released, Graham was asked if he is the council member with a redacted name in the report – – and, if so, if he asked his name not to be used.
Graham did not respond.
However, not all redactees were asked if they wanted their names to be hidden.
On page 16, the report redacts the name of Progress Managing Editor Tom Scanlon – who was invited to a Zoom meeting described by the report as “regarding a group of properties located around 106th Street and Paradise Dr. One of the properties had received a notice of violation regarding improper wall height and setbacks.”
The report inaccurately states, again redacting the name, that Scanlon attended the meeting; however, Whitmer sent a recording of the meeting to Scanlon, who declined to report on it.
Police escort
On Jan. 14, Caton ordered Borowsky’s right-hand-man Whitmer to leave City Hall; though Whitmer complied with the order, a police escort walked him off the property.
The original paid suspension was for 30 working days.
Whitmer received a 10–day extension Feb. 26, then a second March 9. Upon the expiration of the second, a third extension was tacked on; this one would end March 28.
His suspension letter ordered Whitmer “to be available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for all aspects of this investigation.
“Your work location,” the letter commands, “will be your primary residence; you will be available by telephone at all times during your designated work hours …”
Whitmer began his employment with the city Oct. 6. He somewhat quietly started “my first office job in 40 years” at an annual $135,000 salary.
The longtime Borowsky confidant Whitmer made cameos in the first half of 2025 for some scene-stealing moments, blasting council members Dubauskas, Adam Kwasman and Graham.
Before getting an office at City Hall, Whitmer bankrolled an advertising campaign (in the Progress and elsewhere) that slammed those three for resisting Borowsky’s efforts to move a planned Old Town parking garage.
Off stage, Whitmer insinuated Dubauskas and Kwasman faced recalls – unless he brokered “a peace deal.”
When that didn’t work, he grabbed a poison pen, firing off a letter to the editor to demand Kwasman’s resignation – and calling the longtime personal-injury attorney “an ambulance chaser.”
That was nothing, compared to Whitmer’s full-frontal attack on Graham.
After sneering at Graham’s behavior privately and publicly for months, Whitmer filed a complaint against Graham with the Arizona State Board of Accountancy; it was later dismissed.
Whitmer has been no stranger to controversy.
In 2011, according to a National Parks Conservation Association story, “Whitmer brought together a small group of business partners to form Confluence Partners LLC, filing legislation with the Navajo National Council in 2016 to approve a master plan for the proposed resort hotel … at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers, a sacred site for many tribes and a part of traditional origin stories.”
The planned Grand Canyon hotel and tramway was soundly defeated, according to the NPCA story, when “Western Navajo citizens unanimously opposed allowing this destructive project on their land.”
Five months ago, the Progress asked Borowsky about her background with Whitmer.
“I’ve known Lamar since 2008,” she responded.
“My experience with Lamar has proven that he is extremely well-informed about the structure, processes and the legal framework within which the city operates.”
Why would she hire someone who has been so openly critical of several council members?
“Like me,” Borowsky responded shortly after hiring Whitmer, “Lamar is open to working with anyone who is committed to obtaining the best results for Scottsdale’s residents, business owners, the economy, and our future—even in the face of disagreement on how to accomplish it.”
And, she added:
“He is not one to sit back and be silent in the face of misconduct.”
Two months before he was suspended after allegations of his own misconduct, Borowsky praised Whitmer’s “positive approach to all that he’s encountered.”
The report on Whitmer’s investigation painted a starkly different picture of her second in command.
Considering Whitmer has been battling his HOA in court for years, a suit against the city remains a possibility.
“We will take appropriate action for the damage they have caused, and for their bizarre but predictable behavior, once we have something tangible from them,” Wilenchik told the Progress last month.
“All options are on the table.”
Borowsky’s parting thought:
“I wish Lamar the best in his future.”