Officials: Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai terminates spokesman after flirtatious texts surface

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – 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.

KSAT obtained a report from Bexar County Ombudsman Allison Highley, 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.

Details of the investigation of Lefko and his termination were first reported by the San Antonio Express-News.

Lefko’s first interaction

On July 18, 2025, Lefko reached out to “all local media outlets” — including the San Antonio Observer — to share information on Propositions A and B ahead of the November 2025 election.

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.

Later that afternoon, Lefko thanked Zarriello via email for meeting with him.

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.

Plan to ‘talk shop’

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 (I usually work until about 5:30) 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.

Lefko, Ali meet in person

According to Lefko, Ali requested a meeting with him on Sept. 17.

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.

Minutes later, Zarriello told him “someone from the Observer would be there” in an email.

According to Highley’s report, Lefko responded to Zarriello he enjoyed “seeing friendly faces in the audience.”

“We also need to set a time/date for a get together, if you are interested,” Lefko wrote.

“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.

‘Bachelor for the weekend’

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.”

According to Lefko, Zarriello canceled the meeting on Oct. 31 due to a “cough.”

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.

A heads up from the Observer

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.

KSAT Investigates obtained a separate copy of Ali’s Nov. 7 email to 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.

‘You would have to be a fool to hit on his wife’

In Highley’s report, Lefko denied being a predator and said he was “not involved with his (Ali’s) 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.

The county investigation

Highley said she asked Lefko several times to share “copies of his correspondence with Ms. Zarriello” as a part of the county’s investigation.

According to Highley, Lefko denied each request.

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.

Towards the end of Highley’s interview with Lefko, he said, upon reflection, he “regretted many of his actions and would have done things differently.”

KSAT reached out to Zarriello for comment, but she had not responded to the request.

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.

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.