A top Cleveland safety advisor resigned Thursday afternoon, the same day Ideastream reported the former roommate of Mayor Justin Bibb helped draft his own job description before it was posted.
Phillip McHugh has been at the center of controversy since he started the newly created position of Senior Advisor for Public Safety last month. Council members and residents began raising concerns about his personal attachment to Bibb, with whom he reportedly roomed at American University, and allegations that he violated an elderly Black couple’s civil rights and falsified police reports while working as a police detective in Washington, D.C.
Ideastream obtained records Wednesday evening that showed that members from the Mayor's office appeared to have solicited McHugh's input on the job description on Oct. 3. The job was not posted until "late October," according to a city spokesperson.
The annual salary for the position was $124,000.
Bibb announced McHugh's resignation in a written statement released Thursday afternoon.
"I understand that the hiring of Phil has evoked pain within our community. I have heard your concerns and acknowledge that situations like these are hard — as a leader, as a resident, and as a Black man," Bibb wrote. "The issues of race, discrimination and privilege that have been raised are complex and nuanced, and I've been grappling with how to best navigate and address them.
"Phil recognizes that his past has led to a distraction as well as concern from our community and my staff," Bibb continued. "It became clear to Phil that he will not be able to be effective in this environment."
McHugh responds, denies lying to public and media
McHugh's lawyer, Andrew Stebbins, provided a copy of his resignation statement to Ideastream.
"Today, I have made the decision to submit my resignation to Mayor Bibb," he wrote. "While it has been an honor to serve the City of Cleveland for this brief time, the politically motivated character assassination campaign initiated against me by certain disingenuous members of the City Council and media has made it nearly impossible to focus on the work and to serve the City effectively.
"Public servants should be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and for the last month, I have candidly and truthfully embraced questions about my career. I vehemently deny these false suggestions that I have lied to or deceived the Mayor, the City, or members of the media regarding an investigation I conducted nearly a decade ago."
The lies McHugh referenced were allegations from The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com after he appeared before the news organization's editorial board. Reporters say McHugh "lied" and gave them a different version of events than a 2017 sworn statement from a deposition about his involvement in the civil rights lawsuit.
"I have dedicated my life to public service and was excited for the opportunity to make a difference in Cleveland. I uprooted my family and left behind the personal and professional life I spent nearly twenty years building in Washington DC because I believed in the Mayor’s vision for Cleveland and I am confident I could have helped achieve it. I want to thank Mayor Justin Bibb and Director Wayne Drummond for this opportunity and for their faith in my abilities and character. I wish nothing but the best for the City of Cleveland and its residents."
Read McHugh's resignation letter here:
Read Mayor Justin Bibb's full statement below:
Dear Cleveland Residents,
I am writing to inform you of the decision of Philip McHugh to resign from his role in the Department of Public Safety and to step down from the administration effective immediately.
I understand that the hiring of Phil has evoked pain within our community. I have heard your concerns and acknowledge that situations like these are hard – as a leader, as a resident, and as a Black man. The issues of race, discrimination and privilege that have been raised are complex and nuanced, and I've been grappling with how to best navigate and address them.
As a Black man born and raised in Cleveland, with grandparents from the segregated South who instilled in me a deep commitment to civil rights and social justice, I ran for Mayor of Cleveland with a vision of creating equitable change. I believe in the power of effective leadership and diverse perspectives to address the most pressing, complex issues facing our community. First and foremost of these is public safety. I know that if we cannot get this right, nothing else matters.
I have said from the beginning that our city is in need of smart and talented individuals to help us modernize public safety and address the evolving challenges we face. The complexities of public safety require innovative solutions, data-driven strategies, and a collaborative approach that leverages the expertise and insights of a diverse range of professionals. Since meeting Phil, I have known him to be this type of leader. However, Phil recognizes that his past has led to a distraction as well as concern from our community and my staff. It became clear to Phil that he will not be able to be effective in this environment. Still, I remain committed to delivering these solutions for Clevelanders so they have the level of service they deserve.
Every day I wake up, I’m focused on the safety of our residents. It's a pivotal moment in our city where we have the opportunity to make a real difference, and I'm committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that we do.
My commitment is unwavering and I need each and every one of you to continue to help us in that cause.
I am here for you and I am here with you.
This is a developing story and it will be updated.
