Bristol Councilman Apologizes for Lying About City Employees

BRISTOL, Va. (WCYB) — Bristol, Virginia Councilman Michael Pollard issued a public apology on Facebook Monday, January 6, 2025, for lying about city employees, including City Manager Randall Eads. Pollard admitted to violating the city council’s code of ethics, despite repeated warnings.

In his statement, Pollard acknowledged sending a private Facebook message on January 4, 2025, containing false information about Eads. “The private message contained numerous falsehoods about Mr. Eads that I knew to be false at the time I wrote the message,” Pollard said. He also admitted to previously breaching ethical standards and receiving warnings from the council.

Pollard emphasized that his actions had negatively impacted city employees and their lives. “I have violated the standards of conduct on several occasions and have been previously warned, by council, about these violations and how it impacts employees and their lives,” he stated.

The councilman clarified that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are a right for all Virginia citizens, including city employees. “Mr. Eads has a right to FOIA my documents. It is not a violation of my privacy to be subjected to a FOIA request,” Pollard said. He added that Eads would not require him to respond to the FOIA request following his apology.

Pollard concluded his statement by expressing regret for his actions. “Mr. Eads did not deserve to have the comments I made about him,” he said. The apology comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Pollard’s conduct and its impact on city operations.