District Attorney Mike Ramos
11:01 PM PST on Thursday, February 11, 2010
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos is raising concerns that the latest charges in a corruption investigation, now implicating two county supervisors, could result in budgetary reprisals.
Ramos said Wednesday after announcing new charges against a former county supervisor and a former assistant assessor that he was concerned that supervisors, to thwart the investigation, might remove key staff from his department through budget cuts.
“I hear rumblings about them wanting to take away my investigators,” he told reporters after the news conference. “Now doesn’t that scream out loud ‘Wait a minute board members, why are you going after the DA’s investigators?’”
Supervisors said they don’t intend to target the district attorney’s budget.
“I would not allow budget cuts as any kind of retaliatory action,” Supervisor Josie Gonzales said.
“I don’t think my colleagues would allow that kind of action.”
The relationship between Ramos and the board had already been tense due to a $140,000 sexual harassment investigation into the district attorney that began last fall and was completed last month.
The latest charges put Ramos at increasing odds with the board.
Bill Postmus, a former county supervisor and former assessor, and Jim Erwin, a former assistant assessor and former chief of staff to a supervisor, are accused of conspiring with five unnamed and uncharged co-conspirators to provide Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners with a $102 million lawsuit settlement through bribes, extortion and threats.
Postmus was charged with five felonies, including conspiracy and accepting a bribe.
Erwin was charged with nine felonies including conspiracy, corrupt influencing, offering a bribe, and extortion.
Postmus had previously been charged with nine felony counts relating to misuse of public resources at the assessor’s office.
Erwin had been charged with 10 felony counts related to his failure to report gifts.
Both have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Descriptions in court documents Wednesday suggest that Supervisor Paul Biane and Mark Kirk, chief of staff to board chairman Gary Ovitt, are co-conspirators, identified as John Doe No. 4 and No. 5.
Biane and Ovitt have denied that their November 2006 vote in favor of the settlement was unduly influenced by any outside parties.
Economy Dictates Cuts
Gonzales and Supervisor Neil Derry said budget cuts would be dictated by an economic climate in which the county continues to see declining sales and property taxes.
“All over, budgets are taking hits,” Derry said. “It’s going to impact every budget.”
Ovitt referred calls to county spokesman David Wert, while Biane’s office did not return a message Thursday.
The county is facing a $90 million budget shortfall for the 2010-2011 fiscal year and has asked nonlaw-enforcement related departments to make 20 percent cuts, Wert said.
Public safety departments have been asked to make cuts equal to their loss of sales tax dollars and state grants.
They also cannot fill positions left vacant through an early retirement program last year.
CUTS SOUGHT
For the district attorney’s office that translates to a reduction of about 5 percent, said Bob Page, chief of staff to Gonzales.
In his budget request, Ramos is seeking about $4 million to restore about 30 positions, including three investigators, that would be cut as a result, Page said.
“It’s going to be very difficult for the county to grant any department request for additional funding,” Wert said.
He added that public safety is the county’s top priority and will be given serious consideration.
Wert and Page both said that the board only sets the department’s budget while Ramos has control over how to spend his resources.
It wasn’t clear if Ramos would consider denial of his budgetary request as a possible reprisal. He declined to elaborate Thursday through his spokeswoman Susan Mickey.
Brian Janiskee, a Cal State San Bernardino political science professor, said the public will view the district attorney and attorney general favorably for pursuing alleged political corruption.
“Politically, it will be quite difficult for the Board of Supervisors to make any moves — overt or covert — to weaken the district attorney’s office through denial of resources,” Janiskee said.
“Given the extraordinary nature and scope of the charges brought by the attorney general and the district attorney, it is fair to say the Board of Supervisors would be on defense for a significant period of time if any political struggle were to occur.”
Ramos’s relationship to the board had already been complicated by an internal inquiry into allegations that he sexually harassed and retaliated against a female employee in his office.
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This is a confession about having a conflict of interest with this “situation”, no wonder the seated Supervisor is referred to as John Doe and Chairman Gary O. is conveniently left out of the “conspiracy theory” depicted in Mikey’s complaint. Since Mikey and Moonbeam are campaigning for one another, both are “conflicted”, the sunshine needed to illuminate the entire corruption conspiracy must come from the FBI in the form of a RICO-type investigation and lawsuit. Where is Dick Tracy when the people need him? Message to the Feds: Calling all Agents, calling all agents and especially special ones like Kurt Donham in Riverside, now with Devilreaux leaving ONT to “save” SBCo., it must feel like deja vu all over again? C’MON, its time to see the FBI COME MARCHING IN and open up a can of whoopass, just like the Saints did on Superbowl Sunday! SHOW THE PEOPLE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUR PRESIDENT REALLY CARE TO ELIMINATE POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY!
I’d say you get in return what you give out Ramos.
All they have to do is remove the free condom dispensers in the DA Office stair wells and they will save a bunch. That’s if they really want to get at the DA Investigators or they could make them work for a change. Compared with them, Rex is a hardworker.
I find it curious that the BOS can reduce Tuesday exposure but not make cuts to there staffing levels, salaries, or other little Perks the get. Mike should get his investigator budget cut in half, but so should the fifth floor. I guess those 25k per year OA’s can more easily support their situations but those wonderful talents that have filled the purple and silver parking spots are just too significant! What would we do without someone making over 100k taking ten smoke breaks a day, or going to 1 1/2 hour lunches with mini me. Lets see some real sacrifice!
HallwayMonitor LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!