BEXAR COUNTY, Texas \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
County officials confirmed Jim Lefko\u2019s termination Tuesday to KSAT Investigates. Lefko was let go Dec. 8, 2025, three months before Sakai runs for reelection in next month\u2019s Democratic primary. <\/p>\n
KSAT obtained a report from Bexar County Ombudsman Allison Highley<\/a>, 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. <\/p>\n 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 \u201cbachelor for the weekend\u201d and wanted to meet her for drinks on Nov. 1. <\/p>\n Lefko told the county he only intended \u201cto meet, have drinks, and talk and get to know\u201d Zarriello \u201cbetter.\u201d <\/p>\n KSAT Investigates also obtained a heated email exchange between Lefko and Waseem Ali, Zarriello\u2019s husband as well as the Observer\u2019s president and chief executive officer. <\/p>\n Details of the investigation of Lefko and his termination were first reported by the San Antonio Express-News. <\/p>\n KSAT Investigates<\/p>\n Hard-hitting journalism from the KSAT Investigates team delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Lefko\u2019s first interaction<\/p>\n On July 18, 2025, Lefko reached out to \u201call local media outlets\u201d \u2014 including the San Antonio Observer \u2014 to share information on Propositions A and B ahead of the November 2025 election<\/a>. <\/p>\n Six days later, Lefko met Zarriello and another San Antonio Observer writer at his downtown office to discuss the county\u2019s plans for the East Side and \u201cthe Spurs Arena,\u201d the report states. <\/p>\n Later that afternoon, Lefko thanked Zarriello via email for meeting with him. <\/p>\n According to the report, Zarriello sent Lefko an emailed response minutes later and copied the other Observer writer. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat fun we will have one day over a beer we could chat and chat,\u201d Zarriello\u2019s response read, in part. <\/p>\n Plan to \u2018talk shop\u2019<\/p>\n On Aug. 19, the report indicates Lefko sent Zarriello another email regarding \u201can upcoming budget town hall\u201d where he also hoped he would \u201csee her there.\u201d <\/p>\n Lefko, the report states, also asked Zarriello via email if she was \u201cinterested in getting together to talk shop after work some time.\u201d Minutes later, Zarriello emailed Lefko back, saying she \u201cwould love to talk shop.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYou definitely have been where I am,\u201d Zarriello wrote to Lefko, in part. \u201cAs soon as your schedule dies down just let me know and we will get a coffee or drink and chat.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cShoot me a few dates when you are free (I usually work until about 5:30) and let\u2019s make it happen!\u201d Lefko wrote in a subsequent email to Zarriello, the report states. <\/p>\n According to Lefko, Zarriello did not attend the budget town hall. He said Ali attended the event in her place. <\/p>\n Lefko, Ali meet in person<\/p>\n According to Lefko, Ali requested a meeting with him on Sept. 17. <\/p>\n The two met in Lefko\u2019s downtown office. Lefko said he and Ali spent time sharing \u201cnegative information\u201d about an unnamed Bexar County commissioner. <\/p>\n Eight days later, Lefko asked Zarriello via email if she planned to attend the county\u2019s \u201cproposed venue tax\u201d event scheduled for Oct. 1 at the Freeman Coliseum. <\/p>\n Minutes later, Zarriello told him \u201csomeone from the Observer would be there\u201d in an email. <\/p>\n According to Highley\u2019s report, Lefko responded to Zarriello he enjoyed \u201cseeing friendly faces in the audience.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe also need to set a time\/date for a get together, if you are interested,\u201d Lefko wrote. <\/p>\n \u201cWould love to get together,\u201d Zarriello responded. \u201cLet me know what\u2019s more your speed – coffee, lunch, beer.. etc.\u201d<\/p>\n More email correspondence indicated Lefko and Zarriello exchanged phone numbers and met Oct. 9 for \u201capproximately 90 minutes\u201d at a downtown bar for drinks. <\/p>\n \u2018Bachelor for the weekend\u2019<\/p>\n Because his wife was out of town for the final few days of October 2025, Lefko said he texted Zarriello he was a \u201cbachelor for the weekend\u201d and wanted to meet her for drinks on Nov. 1. <\/p>\n Lefko told the county he only intended \u201cto meet, have drinks, and talk and get to know\u201d Zarriello \u201cbetter.\u201d <\/p>\n According to Lefko, Zarriello canceled the meeting on Oct. 31 due to a \u201ccough.\u201d <\/p>\n Shortly thereafter, according to Highley, Ali confronted Lefko about his texts to Zarriello. Lefko said he wanted to clear matters up \u201cman to man\u201d at Ali\u2019s home, but Ali \u201chad second thoughts\u201d and did not want Lefko in his home. <\/p>\n 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. (KSAT)A heads up from the Observer<\/p>\n Less than a week later, Ali sent Lefko an emailed \u201crequest for comment\u201d before the newspaper planned to publish a \u201cmulti-part series on alleged misconduct\u201d perpetrated by Lefko. <\/p>\n KSAT Investigates obtained a separate copy of Ali\u2019s Nov. 7 email to Lefko. <\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to reach out to you in your official capacity as Communication Director for County Judge Peter Sakai,\u201d Ali wrote in the email. \u201cI wanted to afford you the respect that was denied to me by you and I don\u2019t want you blindsided.\u201d <\/p>\n According to the email, Ali referred to Lefko as someone with a \u201ccomplete lack of integrity, morality, and ethics.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d Ali wrote to Lefko, in part. \u201cI 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.\u201d <\/p>\n At the time of the email, Ali wrote he was \u201cexploring legal remedies\u201d as a result to Lefko\u2019s alleged actions. <\/p>\n \u2018You would have to be a fool to hit on his wife\u2019<\/p>\n In Highley\u2019s report, Lefko denied being a predator and said he was \u201cnot involved with his (Ali\u2019s) wife.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYou would have to be a fool to hit on his wife,\u201d Lefko told the county, citing Ali\u2019s \u201cimposing\u201d physique and former basketball playing career. <\/p>\n Reflecting on his correspondence with Zarriello, Lefko said \u201cshe was a little flirty in a fun, light way.\u201d <\/p>\n He told the county he wanted to \u201cbefriend\u201d Zarriello because he believed she \u201cwas not confident and did not get out much.\u201d<\/p>\n Along those lines, he said he texted Zarriello a photo of himself \u201cdressed professionally\u201d with the intent to \u201cto boost her confidence in her own appearance,\u201d the report states. <\/p>\n The county investigation <\/p>\n Highley said she asked Lefko several times to share \u201ccopies of his correspondence with Ms. Zarriello\u201d as a part of the county\u2019s investigation. <\/p>\n According to Highley, Lefko denied each request. <\/p>\n She later told Lefko not cooperating with the investigation could \u201clead to a presumption that the evidence would have been unfavorable to his position.\u201d <\/p>\n Highley also noted previous credible information about Lefko when he allegedly \u201cmade several comments to a Bexar County employee on her physical attractiveness\u201d and \u201casked the employee to go with him alone to a sporting event.\u201d <\/p>\n The information, according to Highley, was never filed as a formal complaint because she turned down Lefko\u2019s perceived advances and he was not persistent. <\/p>\n KSAT reached out to Zarriello for comment, but she had not responded to the request. <\/p>\n Lefko had worked for Sakai since the judge took office in January 2023. Sakai is on the ballot for the March 3 primary against challenger and former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg<\/a>. <\/p>\n