Mayor Jan Seton’s response
Mayor Jan Seton looks back on last night’s meeting with mixed feelings. “There are only losers in this situation. What happened cannot be done,” he says. On the other hand, he does not deny that Hooiveld has been under pressure: “If you leak, that naturally brings pressure with it.”
Still, the mayor says that the words ‘criminal investigation’ do not come from him: “No, I did not say that. I did say that I know that when someone violates trust in a mayoral appointment, a report will always be filed. I I do not know whether this also applies to violating an embargo. All I know is that those words are not mine, but from an answer to a question from the group chairmen. At that stage, we did not yet know who had done it Now that Daan has come forward and relinquished his position, I wonder if anything else is being done with that investigation. It was mentioned in the shock and anger of the leak itself.”
Hard laugh
He calls the whole situation a hard blow for the young councilor. In addition to anger at Hooiveld, there is also concern: “It produces a lot of shards, but he has to deal with that himself in the first place. Although there is also a feeling of concern about him.” Seton praises Hooiveld’s courage to resign: “I think it is very good that he has taken his responsibility to bring it out. That is not easy, not even in the direction of his group. He has done well. is a clean decision.”
Although that was not the only option according to the mayor: “I did not say that leaving was the only option. We even talked about it”: “Is that necessary?” I wondered. In the end we are on it together. “I have come to the conclusion that this is the best option. This has run its course. He has told that he did it, drew his own conclusions from it, then told the council that he would resign his council membership and I respect that decision.”
Mayor Seton does not want to respond to the latest development in which Hooiveld announces that he is waiting to submit a possible letter of resignation. He expects a letter of resignation from Hooiveld.