San Bernardino County officials have taken a new approach at inquiries into costs associated with civil litigation related to alleged time card fraud in the Assessors operation under Bill Postmus.
The new approach? We’re not going to tell you.
Yes, that’s right. An official request for an updated legal cost figure was met with the following response. The cost of taxpayer-sponsored litigation is now confidential!
Is the county becoming a little touchy over this boondoggle? It sure appears like it. County supervisors already have egg on their faces regarding the lawsuit against five defendants and their respective attorneys. It seems the county’s legal costs are now set to blow past the $1 million mark with little or no chance of recovery of anything.
So the supes have decided to adopt standard county operating procedure. Hide it.
Sources describe the litigation and skyrocketing costs as a political problem for county supervisors. On one hand, if the litigation is ended because of no likelihood of recovery during bad budget times, the supes worry they will look weak fighting corruption. While on the other hand, blowing millions on a loser case, will look fiscally irresponsible come election time.
On another note, in routine court proceedings this week attorney John Hueston of the law firm of Irell and Manella, who represents the county in the matter, appeared in court. Hueston is being described by several people in the courtroom has having what is described as an angry demeanor.
Yes, apparently the U.S. Supreme Court putting the torch to his banner claim-to-fame legal case must have him fairly upset.
Although, I would be too.
Hueston was the lead Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting defendants in the Enron fraud case. Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States scuttled the case and convictions, due to a misapplication by prosecutors of what is known as the “Honest Services” statute.
The big question is whether or not Hueston will take the case off his resume and reduce the $495 per hour rate he’s charging the county.
The whole board is a joke. They might as well stay home.
They rarely meet as it stands now.
I absolutely want to know the cost of this litigation. The BOS has no right to withhold this information. There is no logical reason for with holding this information. Please post the email addresses of all supervisors, so we may all tell them how we feel.
So, we are back where we started in the first place. They are carrying on as if nothing ever happened. What the…?!
Nothing ever changes in our county. Is this suppose to be an example of transparency?
Disgraceful.
This is Devilreaux’s doing. His idea of transparency is to make the public jump through a flaming hoop to try and get any information or benefit from any of the public resources he oversees. Now if you’re from the BIA, one of the Colonies boyz, or a Lewis, he will pull out all the stops (literally).