Shame on the teachers union for not calling a halt to corruption years earlier. There were articles for years in the San Diego Union Tribune about the strange legal fees paid to Bonny Garcia. Why was CTA silent? Because CTA gets cooperation behind the scenes from corrupt board members in most districts.
Sweetwater legal fees effort fizzles
Proposal to fund them for 3 current and one former official dies
Ashly McGlone
UTSD
Jan. 31, 2012
An effort to have the Sweetwater school district pay up to $1.3 million in legal fees for current and former officials ran into trouble Tuesday as the idea lacked support from the community and the school board.
Items on the agenda to fund the legal defense of former board member Greg Sandoval and current board members Pearl Quinones and Arlie Ricasa did not move forward, as no one on the board moved the items for action.
Quinones, Sandoval and Ricasa are charged by the District Attorney’s Office with accepting gifts from contractors, failing to report them on required state forms and then voting for contracts for the donors. They have pleaded not guilty. All three were on the agenda for $400,000 in fees.
Board member Bertha Lopez, whose home was raided but she was not charged, was on the agenda for a $100,000 of legal fees. She withdrew the request around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday at the end of a seven-hour meeting.
As the district laid out the agenda, board members would be able to recuse themselves from the vote on their own legal fees, but approve the expense for colleagues.
Attorneys Cory Briggs, from a citizens group suing for return of payments to contractors, told the board that recusal would not work to cure a conflict of interest for board members voting.
The meeting was the first since Jan. 4, when District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis issued the charges.
More than 700 people gathered in the gymnasium at Hilltop High School for varying reasons. A group of about 30 people in attendance supporting board member Arlie Ricasa wore blue ribbons.
At least 200 held signs reading "Recall or Resign."
Mar Vista High School teacher Lauren McLennan served three members --Ricasa, Jim Cartmill and John McCann -- with recall notices.
McLennan, a leader of the newly created "Occupy Sweetwater" movement, said trustees must be recalled because they "have let scandal after scandal occur on their watch because they are more focused on their political careers than their duties as school board members."
"We are not recalling them simply because of the felonies and misdemeanors,” McLennan said. ‘’This is for years and years of neglect."
Craig Miles, teacher and varsity tennis coach at Montgomery High School, said, "You have to be here because this is about the future of the district, not only for the board members but about the bond money and how it is being used and who is trying to control it."
Miles cautioned the public to reserve judgment.
"The turnout is good and this process will play out but the legal issues have to be respected and they often take time and everyone is innocent until proven guilty, not just accused."
Many members of the public expressed ardent opposition to the proposed payment of legal fees.
Sofia Reyes, 11, took to the podium Monday to urge board members to not approve the legal fees.
"That money shouldn't be used to pay for the board member's attorneys. It should go towards improving the schools," Reyes said. "Clean up your act. Next year when I enter middle school I want to be proud of my district, not ashamed by what they have done and hidden from us."
Showing posts with label criminal charges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label criminal charges. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
DA: 5 Charged in School Corruption Case
Skimming money does undermine an agency, but often it's a small potatoes operation. The folks who don't skim from the agencies, but subvert the entire agency for their personal goals take vastly larger sums legally.
For example, Diane Crosier and Dan Puplava at the San Diego County of Education benefit from a corrupt system, and the SDCOE board and Superintendent Randy Ward do not even require Diane Crosier to report gifts.
SDCOE is protected by the news media in San Diego ever since Emily Alpert was forced to stop her investigation of SDCOE.
Investigators call it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme
By Sarah Grieco
NBC San Diego
Jan 4, 2012
Charges have been filed against five current and former Sweetwater school officials in a South Bay corruption case, according to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
Former Superintendent Jesus Gandara, former board member Greg Sandoval, current board members Pearl Quinones and Arlie Ricasa and construction contracting executive Henry Amigable have all been charged with crimes.
Felony charges include bribery, perjury and influencing elected officials. Misdemeanor charges were also filed
If convicted, the maximum sentence would be four to seven years.
Gandara had the most charges with seven counts of felony and three misdemeanors. Amigable, whose company also allegedly made campaign contributions to board members, received two felony charges.
The yearlong investigation began when the DA office received multiple anonymous tips on the behavior of the past and present school board members.
Investigators are calling it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme, involving South Bay schools and college boards.
Dumanis said the case is believed to be the largest of its kind in San Diego County.
"For years, public officials regularly accepted what amounted to bribes in exchange for their votes on multi-million dollar construction projects," she said. “This case is outrageous and shameful.”
There are allegations of lavish meals, $1,000 bottles of wine, Southwest airline tickets, Lakers and Rose Bowl tickets that helped win multi-million dollar contracts for school construction.
Investigators from the DA’s office searched seven homes, including those of Quinones, Ricasa and Board Member Bertha Lopez. Investigators took computers, calendars and other records.
Dumanis repeatedly said during a press conference that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges or defendants could be possible.
The arraignment for Gandara, Sandoval, Ricasa, Quinones and Amigable is scheduled for Jan. 13
School Officials Accepted Thousands in Gifts: DA
Lavish meals, sporting events tickets and more given to school board officials
By Paul Krueger
NBC San Diego
Dec 28, 2011
The homes of three school board members were raided Dec. 20 by DA investigators.
advertisement
Investigators are calling it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme, involving South Bay schools and college boards.
Allegations of lavish meals, $100 bottles of wine, and Rose Bowl tickets that helped win multi-million dollar contracts for school construction.
According to search warrants made public today, one school board member got tickets to Padres, Chargers, Angels and Lakers games -- sometimes in the stadium's private suite -- plus two nights at the Biltmore Hotel in Pasadena and tickets to the Rose Bowl.
Last week, investigators from the District Attorney's office searched seven homes. The targets include three members of the Sweetwater Union High School District: Pearl Quinones, Bertha Lopez and Arlie Ricasa.
Investigators took computers, calendars and other records, but would not disclose the reason for those raids.
These search warrants, unsealed Tuesday in Superior Court, provide new details about an alleged felony bribery scheme involving a construction company executive who pursued school administrators and board members with gifts, in return for their approval of school construction projects.
One investigator calls it a "corrupt pay-for-play culture" that tarnished the Sweetwater Union School District, and Southwest College, in Chula Vista.
At the center of the alleged scam is Henry Amigable, who worked for Gilbane/SGI construction management.
Investigators say he spent thousands of dollars on food and wine for school board members, including a $1,700 restaurant meal.
Amigable's company also allegedly made campaign contributions to board members, to get the inside track on business, and spent more than $2,000 on theater tickets and dinner for South Bay board members and administrators, including former Sweetwater superintendent Jesus Gandara.
Gilbane Construction also allegedly paid a $1,000 beauty pageant fee, for Gandara's daughter, and a $500 beauty pageant scholarship for the daughter of former Sweetwater board president, Greg Sandoval.
Sandoval allegedly got those tickets to sporting events in San Diego and Los Angeles, and the New Year's eve hotel stay in Pasadena.
According to the search warrant, Sandoval "had his hand out for gifts so often, even employees from the construction company remarked that he has no shame."
For example, Diane Crosier and Dan Puplava at the San Diego County of Education benefit from a corrupt system, and the SDCOE board and Superintendent Randy Ward do not even require Diane Crosier to report gifts.
SDCOE is protected by the news media in San Diego ever since Emily Alpert was forced to stop her investigation of SDCOE.
Investigators call it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme
By Sarah Grieco
NBC San Diego
Jan 4, 2012
Charges have been filed against five current and former Sweetwater school officials in a South Bay corruption case, according to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
Former Superintendent Jesus Gandara, former board member Greg Sandoval, current board members Pearl Quinones and Arlie Ricasa and construction contracting executive Henry Amigable have all been charged with crimes.
Felony charges include bribery, perjury and influencing elected officials. Misdemeanor charges were also filed
If convicted, the maximum sentence would be four to seven years.
Gandara had the most charges with seven counts of felony and three misdemeanors. Amigable, whose company also allegedly made campaign contributions to board members, received two felony charges.
The yearlong investigation began when the DA office received multiple anonymous tips on the behavior of the past and present school board members.
Investigators are calling it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme, involving South Bay schools and college boards.
Dumanis said the case is believed to be the largest of its kind in San Diego County.
"For years, public officials regularly accepted what amounted to bribes in exchange for their votes on multi-million dollar construction projects," she said. “This case is outrageous and shameful.”
There are allegations of lavish meals, $1,000 bottles of wine, Southwest airline tickets, Lakers and Rose Bowl tickets that helped win multi-million dollar contracts for school construction.
Investigators from the DA’s office searched seven homes, including those of Quinones, Ricasa and Board Member Bertha Lopez. Investigators took computers, calendars and other records.
Dumanis repeatedly said during a press conference that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges or defendants could be possible.
The arraignment for Gandara, Sandoval, Ricasa, Quinones and Amigable is scheduled for Jan. 13
School Officials Accepted Thousands in Gifts: DA
Lavish meals, sporting events tickets and more given to school board officials
By Paul Krueger
NBC San Diego
Dec 28, 2011
The homes of three school board members were raided Dec. 20 by DA investigators.
advertisement
Investigators are calling it a corrupt, "pay-to-play" bribery scheme, involving South Bay schools and college boards.
Allegations of lavish meals, $100 bottles of wine, and Rose Bowl tickets that helped win multi-million dollar contracts for school construction.
According to search warrants made public today, one school board member got tickets to Padres, Chargers, Angels and Lakers games -- sometimes in the stadium's private suite -- plus two nights at the Biltmore Hotel in Pasadena and tickets to the Rose Bowl.
Last week, investigators from the District Attorney's office searched seven homes. The targets include three members of the Sweetwater Union High School District: Pearl Quinones, Bertha Lopez and Arlie Ricasa.
Investigators took computers, calendars and other records, but would not disclose the reason for those raids.
These search warrants, unsealed Tuesday in Superior Court, provide new details about an alleged felony bribery scheme involving a construction company executive who pursued school administrators and board members with gifts, in return for their approval of school construction projects.
One investigator calls it a "corrupt pay-for-play culture" that tarnished the Sweetwater Union School District, and Southwest College, in Chula Vista.
At the center of the alleged scam is Henry Amigable, who worked for Gilbane/SGI construction management.
Investigators say he spent thousands of dollars on food and wine for school board members, including a $1,700 restaurant meal.
Amigable's company also allegedly made campaign contributions to board members, to get the inside track on business, and spent more than $2,000 on theater tickets and dinner for South Bay board members and administrators, including former Sweetwater superintendent Jesus Gandara.
Gilbane Construction also allegedly paid a $1,000 beauty pageant fee, for Gandara's daughter, and a $500 beauty pageant scholarship for the daughter of former Sweetwater board president, Greg Sandoval.
Sandoval allegedly got those tickets to sporting events in San Diego and Los Angeles, and the New Year's eve hotel stay in Pasadena.
According to the search warrant, Sandoval "had his hand out for gifts so often, even employees from the construction company remarked that he has no shame."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)