An open records dispute between the city of Longview and a former councilman shifted this week with the news that the holdup was a now-closed inquiry into allegations of stalking or harassment against Tommy Finklea.

Finklea, who served on the City Council for about two years before he resigned in 2006, was not charged at the end of the investigation, according to a letter this week written by Gregg County District Attorney Tom Watson. Finklea has remained a vocal critic of city government leaders in the years since he served on the council.

He recently filed a lawsuit against the city and City Manager Rolin McPhee over access to records he had requested under the state’s public information laws. In his lawsuit, Finklea said he had in March 2021 and again in August 2021 asked the city to “produce emails between Julie B. Woods and any other city employee over the last year.”

Woods, who is not a city employee, is the local broker/owner of Julie Woods and Associates Real Estate Firm. She’s also known for organizing the Go-Giver Galas in recent years that raised money for several projects aimed at addressing issues associated with homelessness in Longview and on improving Marshall Avenue. While the event hasn’t been held for two years because of COVID-19, Woods said the event is expected to return next year.

The city had withheld the records Finklea requested, with the required approval from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, because the records related to the “detection, investigation and prosecution of crime since the request would tend to include e-mail traffic concerning and regarding pending cases,” according to Finklea’s lawsuit.

The lawsuit says the city did not provide information about how releasing the emails would interfere with the “detection, investigation and prosecution of crime,” “let alone how and why every email sent and received — over the course of a year — between one private citizen and city employees would interfere with the detection, investigation, and prosecution of crime.” Finklea’s lawsuit asked the court to compel the city of Longview to provide him the records he had requested.

A letter from the city to the attorney general’s office said the district attorney’s office had requested the records be withheld. A letter from the DA’s office to the city cites the issue of the ongoing investigation.

This week, though, the city said it will release the records Finklea requested, following a letter Watson wrote to the attorney representing the city in the matter. In his letter, Watson said his office “previously reviewed information to determine if Tommy Finklea had violated criminal statutes pertaining to stalking and/or harassment. My office determined that there was insufficient evidence to present to a grand jury at that time. Currently, the matter is closed and will not be re-addressed unless further information comes forth.”

The city had previously said in response to a request for public information that it did not have any pending or open investigations into Finklea.

The city has said it will release the records now to Finklea. The News-Journal also has requested those records and has asked Watson to review records associated with the investigation.

Finklea did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Woods said she did not know why Finklea had requested her emails, only saying, “Unhappy people throw rocks at people that shine.”