By Steven Hsieh | Phoenix New Times
City council member Sal DiCiccio pushed to appoint the polarizing activist Jarrett Maupin to a vacant city council seat last month, according to text messages obtained by Phoenix New Times.
The messages also suggest that council member Michael Nowakowski considered Maupin as a candidate, despite his own staffer, Felicita Mendoza, eventually taking the seat.
The District 8 seat opened up after former council member Kate Gallego resigned to run for mayor. Gallego was the second councilmember to step down this summer. Daniel Valenzuela also resigned to run for mayor.
In an August 4 message to his chief of staff, council member Sal DiCiccio indicated he did not have two critical votes that the council would need to appoint Maupin to the District 8 position.
