ALAMEDA — A firefighters union leader has filed a claim against Alameda seeking at least $200,000 in damages over what he describes as the city manager’s “false” and “malicious” accusations that she was politically pressured to pick a union-backed candidate as fire chief.

The union leader, Jeff DelBono, cites Vice Mayor Malia Vella and City Councilman Jim Oddie as witnesses. Both were secretly audio-taped by City Manager Jill Keimach, who has said she did so to show they were possibly violating the City Charter by trying to sway her selection of the city’s new fire chief.

Vella and Oddie advocated for DelBono, the president of Local 689 of the International Association of Firefighters, according to the city manager.

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Keimach has been on paid administrative leave since March as the City Council decides whether she should keep her job. Early last month the City Council decided to forward her recording to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The council is expected to again consider her case on Tuesday.

In his April 18 claim, DelBono also accuses Councilwoman Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft of making “false, reckless, malicious and repeated accusations” against him. The claim is a first step toward filing a lawsuit. DelBono initially filed it March 21, then later amended it.

DelBono’s claim accused Ashcraft of making “false and malicious accusations of crimes and misconduct” on an unknown date last November at The Local, a cafe on Park Street, and at Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden, also on Park Street, in February, according to the claim.

Becca Perata-Rosati, who runs a local public relations firm and is the daughter of former California state Senate President Don Perata, was present during the November conversation, the claim says. Alameda fire Chief Edmond Rodriguez — ultimately selected by Keimach for the department’s top post against the union’s wishes — was present during the February conversation, according to the document.

“I don’t know the basis of Mr. DelBono’s accusations against me, but I have never made any false statements about him,” Ashcraft said. “Since this claim may go to litigation, that’s all I can say at this time.”

DelBono said in the claim that, at various times, other witnesses of accusations made against him were Albany Fire Chief Lance Calkins and Alan Cohen, a litigation attorney with the city of Alameda.

Along with Keimach and Ashcraft, the claim names Assistant City Manager Liz Warmerdam and Alameda Deputy Fire Chief Rick Zombeck as among those causing DelBono damage, as well as “other city employees unknown at this time.”

The claim says damages against DelBono exceed $200,000, and that punitive damages, attorney fees and other costs must still be determined.

On April 17, the council decided to release an outside investigator’s report on May 2 into Keimach’s contention she was wrongly subjected to political pressure. Keimach told the council she does not regret her actions, including making the recording, which her attorneys now want made public.

“I was put to the test in Alameda,” Keimach said. “My ethics and good governance would require me to make all those decisions again.”

It was during the council-ordered independent investigation into Keimach’s allegations, which she originally made in an October letter to the council, that her cellphone taping of Vella and Oddie was revealed.

The City Charter puts all hiring decisions for key personnel in the hands of the city manager. Council interference is prohibited and can be grounds for removal from office.

Staff writer Matthias Gafni contributed to this report.