Independence silent on payments to former police chief. ‘It is an open public record’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Payroll records show Dustman was paid $61,397.15 from August to early March.
- The city cites exemptions under Missouri open records law to withhold the agreement.
- Attorneys sent a letter demanding the severance agreement under Missouri Sunshine Law.
It’s been roughly nine months since Adam Dustman unexpectedly resigned as chief of police in Independence, and in that time, he’s been paid at least $61,000 as of early March, according to payroll records.
The city has not explained why Dustman continues to be paid, saying the payments are part of the terms of his resignation, which cannot be disclosed publicly, citing exemptions under Missouri’s open records laws.
Following reporting on the city actively paying Dustman, The Star made another records request, which sought a copy of the separation agreement on April 1 but has yet to receive any correspondence acknowledging the records request.
Payroll documents show that from August to late December, Dustman was paid roughly $35,000 in payments that were marked as earnings on the documents. In late December, those payments were marked as severance, and he has been paid nearly $26,000. The total amount of those payments equals $61,397.15, according to payroll records that run from August to early March.
‘It is an open public record’
Media lawyers said that despite the cited exemptions to the resignation agreement, they believe it is a public record.
Mayor-elect Kevin King did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him for comment on why Dustman is still receiving city money or the letter sent to the city.
King’s mayoral campaign included a platform calling for greater accountability and transparency.
Bernie Rhodes, an attorney for The Star, sent a letter to city officials on April 16 that demanded the release of the agreement to the newspaper, citing an argument that it falls under public records for Missouri.
“Pursuant to the Missouri Sunshine Law, The Star’s request should have been ‘acted upon as soon as possible, but in no event later than the end of the third business day following the date the request is received by the custodian of records,’” Rhodes’ letter said. “That would have been Monday, April 6, 2026. To date, The Star has heard nothing from you.”
The letter from Rhodes outlined the legal argument why the separation agreement between Dustman and the city should be public, saying that the exemptions given by the city in response to why the agreement was not public do not apply to the agreement.
“The Dustman severance agreement is not just a public record; it is an open public record,” the letter from Rhodes said.
Rhodes cited a Missouri Appeals Court ruling that a written severance contract between a school board and its former board president, who resigned, was an open public record. The court specifically explained that the disclosure of employment contracts of public employees is required under the Missouri Sunshine Law and that a severance contract is no different.
“As such, it’s obvious the City has no legitimate basis in refusing to provide the Dustman severance agreement,” Rhodes’ letter said. “Or, to use a more colloquial phrase, this dog don’t hunt.”
City officials did not respond to the letter sent by Rhodes.
“I don’t think that the city has grounds to stand on,” media lawyer Mark Johnson previously said with regard to the exemptions cited by Independence officials. “There’s nothing in (the law) that says that that should be closed.”
Outgoing Mayor Rory Rowland told The Independence Examiner in an April 13 report that the Independence City Council was not told about any settlement agreement last year involving Dustman.
Rowland did not return requests for comment from The Star.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 1:34 PM.
