Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai fired his communications director after the county launched an investigation into text messages between the spokesman and the publisher of a San Antonio newspaper.
Read full article: Officials: Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai terminates spokesman after flirtatious texts surface Members appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott include survivors, law enforcement, advocates, health professionals and moreCecil Simmons, 61,KSAT Investigates– Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai fired his communications director after the county launched an investigation into text messages between the spokesman and the publisher of a San Antonio newspaper.
County officials confirmed Jim Lefko’s termination Tuesday to KSAT Investigates. Lefko was let go Dec. 8, 2025, three months before Sakai runs for reelection in next month’s Democratic primary., who interviewed Lefko on Dec. 1, 2025. The report details email correspondence between Lefko and Stephanie Zarriello, a publisher of the East Side-based San Antonio Observer newspaper. In one message, Lefko told Zarriello that his wife was out of town for the final few days of October 2025 and that he was a “bachelor for the weekend” and wanted to meet her for drinks on Nov. 1. Lefko told the county he only intended “to meet, have drinks, and talk and get to know” Zarriello “better.” KSAT Investigates also obtained a heated email exchange between Lefko and Waseem Ali, Zarriello’s husband as well as the Observer’s president and chief executive officer.On July 18, 2025, Lefko reached out to “all local media outlets” — including the San Antonio Observer — to share information on Six days later, Lefko met Zarriello and another San Antonio Observer writer at his downtown office to discuss the county’s plans for the East Side and “the Spurs Arena,” the report states.According to the report, Zarriello sent Lefko an emailed response minutes later and copied the other Observer writer. “What fun we will have one day over a beer we could chat and chat,” Zarriello’s response read, in part.On Aug. 19, the report indicates Lefko sent Zarriello another email regarding “an upcoming budget town hall” where he also hoped he would “see her there.” Lefko, the report states, also asked Zarriello via email if she was “interested in getting together to talk shop after work some time.” Minutes later, Zarriello emailed Lefko back, saying she “would love to talk shop.” “You definitely have been where I am,” Zarriello wrote to Lefko, in part. “As soon as your schedule dies down just let me know and we will get a coffee or drink and chat.” “Shoot me a few dates when you are free and let’s make it happen!” Lefko wrote in a subsequent email to Zarriello, the report states. According to Lefko, Zarriello did not attend the budget town hall. He said Ali attended the event in her place.The two met in Lefko’s downtown office. Lefko said he and Ali spent time sharing “negative information” about an unnamed Bexar County commissioner. Eight days later, Lefko asked Zarriello via email if she planned to attend the county’s “proposed venue tax” event scheduled for Oct. 1 at the Freeman Coliseum.According to Highley’s report, Lefko responded to Zarriello he enjoyed “seeing friendly faces in the audience.”“Would love to get together,” Zarriello responded. “Let me know what’s more your speed - coffee, lunch, beer.. etc.” More email correspondence indicated Lefko and Zarriello exchanged phone numbers and met Oct. 9 for “approximately 90 minutes” at a downtown bar for drinks.Because his wife was out of town for the final few days of October 2025, Lefko said he texted Zarriello he was a “bachelor for the weekend” and wanted to meet her for drinks on Nov. 1. Lefko told the county he only intended “to meet, have drinks, and talk and get to know” Zarriello “better.”Shortly thereafter, according to Highley, Ali confronted Lefko about his texts to Zarriello. Lefko said he wanted to clear matters up “man to man” at Ali’s home, but Ali “had second thoughts” and did not want Lefko in his home. Jim Lefko, the former director of communications for Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, talked to KSAT outside a Bexar County Commissioners Court meeting on Sept. 6, 2023.Less than a week later, Ali sent Lefko an emailed “request for comment” before the newspaper planned to publish a “multi-part series on alleged misconduct” perpetrated by Lefko.“I wanted to reach out to you in your official capacity as Communication Director for County Judge Peter Sakai,” Ali wrote in the email. “I wanted to afford you the respect that was denied to me by you and I don’t want you blindsided.” According to the email, Ali referred to Lefko as someone with a “complete lack of integrity, morality, and ethics.” “I do not make the following statement lightly: I believe that you are a predator. I believe that you mark, groom, manipulate, and objectify your victims and use your proximity to power to achieve your goals,” Ali wrote to Lefko, in part. “I believe that you are a danger to the public and I think it shows extremely poor judge of character on the part of Peter Sakai to have you by his side.” At the time of the email, Ali wrote he was “exploring legal remedies” as a result to Lefko’s alleged actions.In Highley’s report, Lefko denied being a predator and said he was “not involved with his wife.” “You would have to be a fool to hit on his wife,” Lefko told the county, citing Ali’s “imposing” physique and former basketball playing career. Reflecting on his correspondence with Zarriello, Lefko said “she was a little flirty in a fun, light way.” He told the county he wanted to “befriend” Zarriello because he believed she “was not confident and did not get out much.” Along those lines, he said he texted Zarriello a photo of himself “dressed professionally” with the intent to “to boost her confidence in her own appearance,” the report states.Highley said she asked Lefko several times to share “copies of his correspondence with Ms. Zarriello” as a part of the county’s investigation.She later told Lefko not cooperating with the investigation could “lead to a presumption that the evidence would have been unfavorable to his position.” Highley also noted previous credible information about Lefko when he allegedly “made several comments to a Bexar County employee on her physical attractiveness” and “asked the employee to go with him alone to a sporting event.” The information, according to Highley, was never filed as a formal complaint because she turned down Lefko’s perceived advances and he was not persistent.Lefko had worked for Sakai since the judge took office in January 2023. Sakai is on the ballot for the March 3 primaryNate Kotisso joined KSAT as a digital journalist in 2024. He previously worked as a newspaper reporter in the Rio Grande Valley for more than two years and spent nearly three years as a digital producer at the CBS station in Oklahoma City.Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. 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Jim Lefko Peter Sakai Bexar County East Side Downtown San Antonio
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