FATE, TX – Attorneys for former Department of Public Safety Chief Lyle Lombard have sent a demand letter to the City of Fate seeking preservation of evidence and offering a pre-suit compromise, while also pursuing a federal lawsuit against the City of Fate and Michael Kovacs alleging unlawful termination, violations of due process, and infringement of constitutional rights.

The lawsuit has not yet been filed. According to the demand letter and proposed complaint, Lombard intends to file in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas if a settlement is not reached, alleging he was terminated in November 2025 in violation of Texas Government Code § 614.022 and his rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

According to the complaint, Lombard began working for the City of Fate in April 2018 and received positive performance evaluations throughout his tenure. The filing states that after a series of social media posts by his spouse criticizing city leadership, Lombard received a negative performance review on October 30, 2025.

On November 12, 2025, Kovacs informed Lombard that he would be discussed in executive session and offered him a separation agreement that included two months’ severance.

The lawsuit further alleges that during a City Council executive session, Councilwoman Codi Chinn presented anonymous complaints regarding Lombard. The following day, Kovacs issued Lombard a written complaint summarizing those allegations, and Lombard was required to surrender his badge, identification, and service weapon. He was terminated on November 21, 2025.

Lombard claims the City improperly relied on anonymous, unsigned complaints in taking disciplinary action, which he argues violates Texas law requiring signed complaints against law enforcement officers.

The lawsuit also alleges that Lombard’s termination was motivated, at least in part, by his spouse’s protected speech, constituting retaliation in violation of the First Amendment.

Lombard is seeking reinstatement, damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. A pre-suit demand letter sent to the City requested $440,000 to resolve the matter prior to litigation.

The case remains pending, and the allegations have not yet been adjudicated in court.

Opinion and Analysis

The legal filings outline the formal claims, but previously reported evidence raises additional questions about how the City of Fate arrived at its decision to terminate Lombard.

Pipkins Reports has previously published details of a recorded conversation made by Councilman Mark Hatley in which City Manager Michael Kovacs can be heard alleging that Councilman Mark Harper threatened to terminate him (Kovacs) if Lombard was not removed. If accurate, that statement suggests the termination decision may have been influenced by council-level pressure, despite the expectation that a city manager operates independently in personnel matters. Harper has refused to confirm or deny the allegations.

A second recorded conversation involving Codi Chinn adds another dimension. In that audio, Chinn discusses the need to compile complaints from Department of Public Safety personnel into a format suitable for executive session review. However, based on the documents referenced in the lawsuit, and our Open Records Requests, the only material ultimately presented was the now-central “anonymous letter” provided to Kovacs. No other complaints or documents were ever provided.

In the same recording, Chinn also references Lombard’s wife and her social media activity. Chinn stated: “…it’s unfortunate because it didn’t have to be that way, but I think if he [Lombard] wasn’t so involved politically. You can’t do the things that you’re doing on an operational level that suck. And then have a bad attitude and a bad wife on top of it.”

That statement is notable because it aligns directly with one of the core allegations in the lawsuit—that Lombard’s termination was influenced, at least in part, by the protected speech of his spouse. The filings argue that such consideration would implicate First Amendment protections, a claim that will ultimately be tested in court.

Taken together, the recordings and the legal filings raise questions about whether the termination process was influenced by political pressure, reliance on anonymous complaints, and factors outside standard disciplinary procedures.

FATE, TX — The political battle in Fate has escalated significantly, as Vickey Raduechel, the City Secretary for Fate, has completed her review and verified that the recall petition signatures submitted against four of the city’s top elected officials are “sufficient”.

According to official confirmation obtained by Pipkins Reports, the petitions to recall Mayor Andrew Greenberg, Councilman Rick Maneval, Councilman Mark Hatley, and Councilwoman Martha Huffman have now been verified following their submission on April 6, 2026.

With the verification process complete, the petitions have cleared a critical legal hurdle, setting the stage for recall elections that could reshape the city’s leadership.

Verified Signature Counts

As part of the certification process, the City Secretary validated the number of signatures submitted for each petition to ensure compliance with the city charter requirement of at least 351 qualified voters.

• Andrew Greenberg, Mayor (contained 385 valid signatures)
• Richard Maneval, Council Member Place 4 (contained 366 valid signatures)
• Mark Hatley, Council Member Place 5 (contained 382 valid signatures)
• Martha Huffman, Council Member Place 6 (contained 353 valid signatures)

*Update: The City of Fate responded to our inquiry and provided the verified signature counts above.

From Petition Drive to Certification

The now-verified petitions mark the culmination of a 30-day signature collection effort launched in early March. Organizers, led by local activists Christopher Rains, and Ashley Rains, who is running for City Council, initiated the recall campaign in response to actions taken by the same officials against Councilwoman Codi Chinn. Chinn is already scheduled to face voters in the May 2nd, 2026 election.

As previously reported by Pipkins Reports , the effort quickly mobilized residents, with organizers establishing signing locations and conducting outreach across the community.

Supporters of the recall effort have framed it as a necessary check on elected officials, while critics have argued it represents political retaliation. The certification of the petitions now shifts the debate from signature gathering to the ballot box.

What Happens Next

Under the Fate city charter, once recall petitions are certified as sufficient, the city council is required to formally call a recall election. That process includes setting an election date and coordinating with election officials to place the measure before voters. It is likely that the recall election will be set for November 2026. Estimates indicate this recall will cost taxpayers up to $15,000.

Unless one of the targeted officials resigns—and the vacancy is filled by the remaining council prior to any election—there is a credible risk of a temporary governance breakdown if voters remove all four members at once, a scenario explored in prior Pipkins Reports coverage examining how a full-scale recall could leave the city unable to function.

The outcome of these efforts could result in a significant shift in the composition of the city council—and potentially the mayor’s office—depending on how voters respond.

This is an ongoing story. Pipkins Reports will continue to provide updates as recall election dates are announced and additional details become available.

FATE, TX — The Fate City Council voted Monday night to formally recognize what it called “credible evidence” that Councilman Mark Hatley may have violated the city’s Code of Ethics, setting the stage for a hearing and potential sanctions, and intensifying an already bitter political divide.

The decision came following an executive session on Monday night, and considered a motion by Councilman Scott Kelley, who was the person who filed the ethics complaint against Hatley. Kelley’s motion asserted that the council had sufficient basis to proceed under Section 2-309.10 of the Fate Code of Ethics and Section 3.093 of the City Charter.

The motion passed with support from Codi Chinn, Scott Kelley, Mark Harper, and Martha Huffman. Mayor Andrew Greenberg and Councilman Rick Maneval voted against the measure, according to the official meeting record and public proceedings.

It remains unclear from the meeting record whether Hatley voted on the motion concerning himself. He was not presented as voting in the negative, yet the Mayor made no mention of him abstaining either.

Mayor Greenberg highlighted that this process is political, not criminal.

Following the vote, Kelley introduced a second motion, requesting that Hatley provide a sworn affidavit within seven days addressing key questions tied to the investigation.

Those questions focused on whether Hatley had shared recorded conversations involving City Manager Michael Kovacs with anyone outside city government, including investigative journalist Michael Pipkins. The motion also sought to compel Hatley to cooperate with any additional information requests from the city’s Ethics Council.

Councilwoman Chinn clarified during the discussion that Hatley is not legally required to submit such an affidavit, implying the request is voluntary rather than enforceable under current rules.

The council set the public hearing for May 4, 2026.

That date falls after the city’s General Election on May 2, but before the results are officially canvassed on May 11, meaning the current council will still be seated at the time of the hearing.

Harper currently holds Place 2, a seat being sought by candidates Lorna Grove and Ashley Rains. Rains is one of the petition members seeking to remove multiple councilmembers, including Hatley, through a new recall effort.

Kelley holds Place 3, which is being sought by former Councilman Allen Robbins and Melinda McCarthy. Robbins is also aligned with those supporting the recall of the four councilmen, while McCarthy supported the recall of Codi Chinn, which is already on the ballot for May 2nd.

Early voting for that election is scheduled to begin April 20.