The city manager, city attorney, was "a little knowledge" cigarette operation

Hampton Police Chief Charles R. Jordan Jr. said City Manager Hampton, and its top lawyer was "very little knowledge" of the secret police sting cigarette business, which has been in operation for 19 months. Jordan said on Monday that the City Manager Mary Bunting and City Attorney Cynthia Hudson did not know the details of the investigation - including the millions of dollars flowing through the account of covert operations - while it was under way. "It has been a long practice, the provision of this organization to limit the impact of these secret operations for persons with 'need to know," said the statement by Jordan, issued by the office of communications on Monday. "Therefore, and in accordance with the policy in the past, Mary Bunting and Cynthia Hudson had very little knowledge about this secretly operation." It was not until someone came to him with a complaint about police misconduct, January 27 - bringing Jordan to shut down the entire operation - that Jordan gave Hudson and oatmeal detailed investigation, he said Tuesday. "They really became involved when I saw the red flag, and I need to work with them, to see how we are going to handle it," said Jordan. "They have become much more aware of when I shut down the operation and there were problems, and I came to him with a" Hey, here's the situation. That's when they got a much more detailed briefing." The police set up a fake company, Blue Tobacco water as part of a secret operation to deal with the people involved in the illegal trafficking of cigarettes and related crimes. The investigation has not produced the arrests, however, for more than one and a half years in operation. But more than $ 3 million flowed through the company's account at Langley Federal Credit Union, according to the records of the city. Most of this money was used to constantly replenish the cigarette supply company. But some of them have been spent on nine new cars and trucks, electronics, and is in the officer training trip to New York, Las Vegas and other cities. City officials did not respond to questions about which, if any, outside the Hampton Police Department knew of the ongoing investigation into the cost of cigarettes or approved of it. At the request of Jordan on Monday, "just knowing" oatmeal and Hudson had surgery before it was discontinued in April, came about in 2011, when he discussed with them how to accept a gift that Hampton Police Department was scheduled to receive from cigarette maker. This was about nine months after the surgery. Jordan said in an interview Tuesday that Bunting and Hudson were involved only for the "limited purpose" of obtaining the necessary permits the City Council to accept the gift. Even then, he said, he did not share many details with them about the cost or anything. "They knew about the decision," said Jordan. "They do not know anything about the operation itself, as we did, as we talk about it every day. They just do not know any details about it." He said, oatmeal and Hudson were "basic knowledge" of the gift - that he had to come with safety hand cigarette manufacturer. "They will be informed of the nature of the work, when we finally shut it down," Jordan said Tuesday. "We had hoped to celebrate makes a lot of arrests and show the link between this type of exploitation and violent crime in the community." Hampton City Council, which approves the budget of the Police Department, has never subscribed to the cost Tobacco blue waters. In addition, they have never said more than $ 700,000 in the bank Blue Water, while Daily Press told them about it in September, eight months after the secret cigarette business was closed. During the sit-down interview two weeks ago, Jordan was vague about anyone outside the Hampton Police Department to control or approved expenditures from the account Tobacco blue waters. When asked whether the city will approve expenditures, he said: "Not necessarily," but did not give a definitive answer, saying that the policy of the city is expected to be met. In the same interview on September 27, Jordan said oatmeal was aware of the secret operation of cigarettes, as it was in motion, "Does she know about the work that we have done the surgery? Jordan said in the same interview that the Hudson, too, has been consulted. "We've had numerous conversations with the lawyer of the city, in particular, on the various aspects of it," he said then. "We have received their advice on how to do certain things ... For me it's a good checks and balances when you know someone as notable as Cynthia Hudson or in the office of her lawyer to comment on some things ... It is very insightful, knowledgeable lawyer, and I'm taking her advice. I respect it. " Later in the day the Daily News reporter asked other city officials to confirm this statement, Hudson told a reporter she would call Jordan to discuss the matter and get back to the daily press. But she never called back. Jordan explained Tuesday that he may think of the Commonwealth Attorney Linda Curtis, with whom he said he had discussed the operation. Or, Jordan said, he could have just thought about conversations with Hudson, associated with the gift of ruling. In turn, Curtis said Daily Press she had no involvement in the secret operation of cigarettes, as it went on, though, she said that she was informed about it in advance.