Embattled Pacific Mayor Cy Sun issued a press release Thursday vowing to “take my fight to the people” and continue to oppose any efforts to recall him.

“I was elected by the people of the City of Pacific to serve their interests,” Sun wrote. “The people of the Pacific will have an opportunity to decide whether they want me to keep fighting for them against the corruption, nepotism and cronyism that have been business as usual in the City government for too long. We have work left to do and I will keep fighting for the people and against entrenched interests.

“I permitted my lawyers to fight the recall effort because I thought there were important legal standards that should be considered by our Supreme Court,” the press release continues. “In cases where an outsider like me fights against powerful interests and makes waves, recall efforts and smear tactics can be used to silence needed reforms. I thought it was important to argue for a legal standard that required a recall of an elected official be built upon more than baseless allegations. The Supreme Court disagreed.

“So I will take my fight to the people. I am confident the people will choose reform, as they did when I was elected your Mayor.”

The Washington State Supreme Court unanimously upheld Thursday a King County Superior Court ruling to allow the Committee to Recall Cy Sun to begin collecting signatures for a recall.

The Supreme Court ruling states that there is sufficient cause in the counts that Sun “… directed Pacific police department officers to operate as his personal police force in conducting a criminal investigations into the identity of those responsible for distributing negative information and allegations about him concerning his Echo (Oregon) property, which is outside their jurisdiction; (and) Jeopardizing the City’s liability insurance coverage by not filling vacant department heads.”

The group will have to collect more than 427 signatures from registered voters in Pacific. If successful, the question of whether Sun should be recalled would go before voters 45-60 days after the signatures are verified by the King County Elections Division.

In an unrelated move, Sun placed a third Pacific Police Department officer, Det. Dave Newton, on paid administrative leave this week. Sun declined to comment on specifics other than to state in an email sent via a city hall employee that Newton was placed on administrative leave “pending a criminal investigation.”

Pacific Police Chief John Calkins and Lt. Edwin Massey are also on paid administrative leave, according to Sun, despite a Pacific Civil Service Commission order to have both officers returned to duty.

ALSO: Sun appealed to Gov. Jay Inslee for help earlier this month. According to  KING-5’s Elisa Hahn, Sun wrote: “Our Police Department has committed Anarchy, and the City of Pacific Police protection is at a dangerous low level. I need your State Patrol to come in, take-over and help me re-structure the City of Pacific Police Department.”