Hot chocolate is spy’s downfall

Dave Brooks

Two cups of hot chocolate in Surf City have cost one Northern

California town nearly $50,000.

That’s how much officials from the city of Morgan Hill have spent

trying to uncover who was spying on their city manager while he was

attending a February conference in Huntington Beach.

Morgan Hill city officials in August wrapped up a six-month

investigation that uncovered an espionage drama that plays out more

like the Pink Panther than 007.

A key piece of evidence in the case, the investigation report

says, rests on two cups of hot chocolate that were mysteriously found

in Morgan Hill City Manager Edward Tewes’ room while he was staying

at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa during a League of

Cities conference in February.

Santa Cruz resident Brian Carey said he was the following Tewes to

find evidence that the city manager was having an affair with Morgan

Hill City Atty. Helen Leichter, in hopes of backing up claims made by

City Councilwoman Hedy Chang and her attorney Bruce Tichinin.

Instead, Tewes caught Carey. Tewes had become suspicious that

someone was watching him, and when he went to retrieve his valet car,

he loudly announced his exit and slipped into a hotel alcove to see

if he could catch anyone tailing behind.

What he found was a bulky tattoo-covered man posing as a

Disneyland-bound tourist following him with a video camera, an

investigation of the incident reports.

Carey realizes that he may look alarming, but testified that he

subscribes to a nonviolent “dharma-punk” philosophy that emphasizes

sobriety and inner peace through mediation.

“I was kind of profiled for having tats and it kind of bummed me

out,” he said.

Tewes was first tipped off that he was being followed when he

returned to his room from the convention and found two cups of hot

chocolate he had not ordered. Carey also set off red flags with the

hotel’s security staff when he requested a room near the city

manager, the investigation report said.

The entire incident bothered Tewes so much that when he returned

to Morgan Hill, he helped organize an investigation of the incident

and the Morgan Hill City Council pledged $100,000 to get to the

bottom of the matter. Tewes suspected that Chang might have been

involved, since she called him on the morning his flight left and

asked for the details of his itinerary.

At first Chang and Tichinin denied ordering the surveillance, but

later admitted their participation, a report on the incident said.

“We had to act, we can’t allow someone like this to intimidate

city officials,” said Mayor Dennis Kennedy, who was worried that

Tichinin might use the material for blackmail

But Tichinin claims that the surveillance was perfectly legal and

that he was acting as any attorney would seeking intelligence for a

lawsuit.

“I was fulfilling my legal duty in a lawful manner with agencies

that are licensed to do this,” he said.

Chang has also felt pressure from the investigation and has opted

not to seek re-election.

Staff members at the Hyatt wouldn’t comment on the incident, but

General Manager Cormac O’modhran maintains that the hotel is safe

“Our guest’s privacy and security is of utmost concern,” he said.

“Everything we can do to make that a reality is an absolute for us

every single day.”