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Oakland’s top bureaucrat quit in disgrace over his private messages filled with sexually suggestive comments about female colleagues, Mayor Barbara Lee announced on May 17, who presented it as a quick parting of ways between him and the city.The truth?Former city administrator Jestin Johnson remained on the city’s payroll up until two weeks ago on July 15 — and got paid a handsome $160,272 after his supposed May departure, The California Post has learned.Johnson had abruptly resigned after text messages came to light allegedly discussing female employees in crude terms multiple times.
In one 2024 exchange, Johnson told a subordinate he had to control himself around a high-ranking female city official.“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her,” he wrote.“I have to force myself to only look in her eyes.
She had me a little giddy yesterday when we had to take pics.”In another message, Johnson referred to a female staffer as his “kryptonite.”“My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk,” he wrote.Lee said she was furious when she found out about the pervy texts, saying in a statement back in May that “under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature.”She immediately appointed an acting city administrator as a signal to the public that Oakland was making a clean break with Johnson.
Johnson reportedly offered his resignation and Lee accepted, after an investigation into the communications was opened.However, The California Post obtained a copy of Johnson’s May 16 resignation email, which states his resignation will be “effective” on July 15.“This decision was not made lightly, and I am committed to ensuring a smooth and thorough transition during this period,” Johnson said in the email.
“Please let me know how I can best support the transition over the coming weeks.”The California Post then filed a records request to the city’s payroll department, who confirmed to The Post his final day was indeed July 15....