Steven Toschi is suing the city over its denial of a records request for the full investigative report about former Police Chief Brian Greenway. (Kaelyn Cassidy/Columbia County Spotlight)

Attorney and former mayoral candidate Steven Toschi is suing the city of St. Helens for withholding portions of an investigative report into the former St. Helens police chief.

The lawsuit was filed July 15 in the Columbia County Circuit Court and revolves around an investigation into former St. Helens Police Chief Brian Greenway. Greenway resigned from the police department shortly before the report was released.

Later, former Acting Police Chief Joe Hogue — who stepped into the role in place of Greenway — filed a lawsuit against Mayor Jennifer Massey and the city of St. Helens that claimed there was an unreleased portion of the report. According to Hogue’s lawsuit, the unreleased portion of the report would allegedly expose collusion between Massey and Greenway to withhold 24/7 police coverage from the city to bolster Massey’s mayoral campaign.

The city has so far declined to release the rest of the report, including to the Columbia County Spotlight. Toschi’s lawsuit follows his appeal to Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond of the city’s denial of the request. Pond also denied the request to release the report, and Toschi’s lawsuit asks the court to overrule Pond and require the city to make the report publicly available.

“It is in the public’s interest to know whether its mayor has committed crimes in order to get elected: which may suggest that she can, will and does take actions which harm the public interests for her personal benefit, and where she and others within and associated with the St. Helens government draw their ethical lines,” the complaint reads. “The requested records will inform the public whether persons should seek lawful remedies.”

Toschi ran against Massey and former Mayor Rick Scholl in the November election but ultimately lost. He previously headed the city’s planning commission.