At a media briefing last week, we asked Mayor Mike McGinn whether putting the city's director of Aging and Disability Services, Pam Piering, on paid administrative leave while outside investigators look into whether she improperly ignored an anonymous whistleblower's complaint about misappropriated funds. The decision has angered Piering's wide base of supporters inside and outside the department, who call her a visionary who has turned the division into a nationwide leader in providing services to seniors.

Last week, advocates for Piering met with deputy mayor Darryl Smith to make case that Piering should be reinstated. They accused McGinn and his human services director, Dannette Smith, of conducting a "witch hunt" against Piering and of age discrimination: All five of the employees who were let go during a recent departmental reorganization, they say, are over 50 years old.

However, McGinn implied there's more to the story than meets the eye.

"It's not done lightly," McGinn said.

"Here's what we know. That department, under [Piering's] watch, has seen some fairly significant financial questions arise as to whether the contracted money that we have with providers is being spent appropriately. ... I'm not suggesting she did anything fraudulent, but I do want to say that it's very important that you have a full investigation of what occurred to understand why money is missing, and in this case, placing Pam on leave while the investigation occurs is the appropriate way to proceed."

The investigation, Smith has said, is supposed to be wrapped up by the end of June.