By Richard K. De Atley | rdeatley@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
Published: March 27, 2018 at 4:43 pm | Updated: March 27, 2018 at 5:06 pm
San Bernardino County officials have been mostly subdued after the Colonies bribery case collapsed in acquittals last year — but now a private attorney for the county has attacked Colonies co-managing partner Jeff Burum, saying even a not-guilty verdict for him and his co-defendants “is not a vindication of their conduct.”
The statement from Los Angeles attorney Charles E. Slyngstad came Monday, March 26, as the county and its Flood Control District filed a response to a federal lawsuit filed by Rancho Cucamonga-based Colonies Partners that seeks $80 million in damages from several county and state defendants.
The county and the Flood Control District deny the suit’s allegations in court papers. It’s the latest dispute in nearly 20 years of clashes between the county and the developer.
“The defendants in this case were unjustly sued … They are looking forward to an opportunity to show in this civil case that Colonies and Mr. Burum acted inappropriately and continue to act inappropriately in influencing politics for their own financial gain and windfall,” Slyngstad said in a news release.
Burum pushed back.
“The County’s decision to hire new lawyers who have no understanding of what the County has done to me and my partners the last two decades shows they are only interested in saving face, not serving justice,” Burum said in a statement Tuesday.
The March 1 Colonies lawsuit claims the years-long criminal case was retaliatory, used fabricated evidence and harmed the reputation of the developer.
It also says the county breached an agreement to provide indemnity for Colonies after the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in November 2006 to pay the developer a $102 million settlement over flood-control issues on Colonies’ 434-acre residential and commercial development in Upland.
Prosecutors said four contributions of $100,000 each, sent months later to the political action committees of politicians or others connected with the Colonies settlement approval, were after-the-fact bribes. The defendants denied any wrongdoing and pointed out the contributions were transparent and available online for public scrutiny.
The Colonies settlement was the focus of an investigation by the state Attorney General and San Bernardino County District Attorney that began in July of 2009 and resulted in a 2011 indictment that was not tried until 2017.
The case ended when a jury acquitted three defendants, including Burum, and charges were dismissed against a fourth.
While the recent lawsuit was filed by Colonies Partners and not Burum, Slyngstad, representing the county and the Flood Control District, went after Burum in his statement.
Slyngstad said his clients “see this case for what it is: another attempt by a multimillionaire to take more taxpayer money. Mr. Burum is treating this case like a bargaining chip in a business deal … The fact that Mr. Burum and others were found not guilty is not a vindication of their conduct and does not make the County and the District responsible for the cost of a criminal defense or other costs allegedly paid for by Colonies Partners.”
Burum dismissed Slyngstad’s criticism.
“I don’t care about the empty posturing of arrogant and wayward politicians and their attorneys, I only care about the opinions of judges and jurors. I will continue to let them do my talking for me in their next verdict,” Burum said in his Tuesday statement.
To read expanded article, click here.
I look forward to this guy getting smacked down.
What a arrogant prick.
Did the county instruct Mr. Slyngstad to be as arrogant and defiant as possible in order to divert attention away from Mike Ramos.
I bet this goof is a liberal.
@4 there are those of us proud to be a liberal in the age of Trump. Pro America- anti Red Don
#5 wow I’am so happy for you. Give yourself a pat on the back for your parties last two years of serious failures.
Not failures, the failure sits in the White House. The man you hate, Mike Ramos, is one of your own. A conservative and a Republican. If you don’t like him, go look in the mirror. Be careful what you wished for because you got what you wanted. Too bad it didn’t go the way you wanted. LOL at you.
It’s ok to hate one of your own if they are a crook. Unlike yourself a blind loyalist to the Demorat party who tried a political coup against Trump and failed miserably. Obviously you can’t make it happen and neither could Ramos. And besides who eats tide pods and wears pink hats? Liberals. Can’t forget the liberal perverts in Hollywood and news media. I don’t see a scoreboard hanging anywhere for you or your friends. You all need George Soros and friends to fund your games and you still lose. All that money and political power and zero points scored after two years of trying. No the laughs on you.
If it’s okay to hate a crook, why are you a Trumpie?
Only liberal children eat tide pods. Conservative children do not. Did Hollywood and news media perverts Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, Donald Trump and Steve Wynn become liberals after becoming perverts, or just moments before?
#9 waiting for mueller and his 17 liberal Attorney’s to find something to charge trump with. Been 14 months still waiting.
@11 he must be thorough ..Mueller is a Republican by the way. He’s hardly a liberal. I know it hurts but he’s one of yours. LOL
#10 those you mentioned except trump rolled over. I know it’s distressing for many trump didn’t. I see his accessors went away after the election. Now he has stormy daniels trying to accomplish something. Wow and stormys lawyer is a liberal hack who worked for the mayor of Chicago. Go figure. Score for libs still zero.
The Republicans tried to impeach Clinton over sex. None are offended byvTrumps whoring. Republicans are pure hypocrites.
You are an idiot anon. Go troll elsewhere. We have no need of degerates and dirtbags from the lfar left wing slime.
Not all Republicans consider the dirt bag Ramos to really be a Republican, he’s as left wing as you get and a real degenerate!!!
He deserves all he gets….kaboom
@15 You amuse me. Do you know any words besides dirtbag? LOL
#14 Clinton perjured himself related to the Lewinski matter while in office. Quit trying to stretch Trumps which happened 10 years before being in office. Quit your snowflake whining. Clinton was accused of sexual criminal acts btw.
@18 spin it anyway that makes you feel superior, but the truth is you are just an angry citizen who can’t stand the truth about your dark soul.
I guess calling everything Donnie doesn’t like “fake news” makes our fake president real?
Instead of hail to the chief, it’s the Russian national anthem.
What does this issue have to do with Trump? We have a Dirt Bag D.A. That has misused and abused his office for personal gain and sexual gratification!! Blow his ass out!!
It’s funny, But Donald Trump IS President. Mike Ramos will not be DA much longer. Donald Trump will be reelected. Mueller, just like Ramos, is going on wild goose chases in an effort to find ANYTHING someone even loosely affiliated with Trump has done. The comparisons between Mueller and Ramos are so glaringly obvious only a fool couldn’t recognize it.
It’s interesting how quickly a post about how a shady developer who got rich filling his pockets with taxpayer money is now trying to pad his bank account with more taxpayer money in the name of “justice for all” degenerated into a slapping contest between “liberals” and “conservatives”, as if those two things even exist anymore.
Anonymous #24:
That “shady” developer was already “rich.” That’s the reason he was able to successfully fight back against the defiant bureaucrats and elected officials who were trying to force him to install a regional flood control facility on his property.
Further, as stated by one of the jurors after the criminal trial, his being rich was the only reason he was able to successfully fight that retaliatory prosecution.
If anyone was “shady,” it was those bureaucrats and elected officials.
Repairman and Red Anon may be gone, but it looks like you might be taking their place with some of the most biased and fact challenged comments seen on this site.
@24 If you haven’t read the transcripts and every other document on this case and are only relying on your knowledge of the events going back over a decade being from media sources well then it’s understandable that you don’t realize how ignorant you are.
24 is clearly a uninformed troll or it’s Dave Ellis. But let’s entertain this fool who thinks their comment means something.
In the last 20 years there has been nothing less than a small army of private lawyers, prosecutors, from the County and State and a massive response from the FBI/DOJ to nail this shady developer.
The results are obvious and crystal clear at the moment. The judicial system is inept and 24 has no other explanation.
Sounds like Hillary Clinton still whining after a massive loss to a shady developer from New York.
The only thing 24 needs is a little hand intervention.
But there is hope the County hired themselves another high dollar mouth piece.
Some of us haven’t forgot those high dollar lawyers and County Council low budget folks who testified at the criminal trial.
From I am bitchen to inept was the spread in testimony.
Points scored ZERO!
Hand intervention? What do you mean by that Kenny?
I wonder if the county elected officials and bureaucrats considered offering The Colonies a settlement based on the amount it will cost them to hire “another high dollar mouth piece.” That’s how it often works in civil litigation.
Of course, that’s when both parties are at risk.
County elected official and bureaucrats have proven for over 20 years that they are more than willing to gamble taxpayer money when fighting The Colonies, so why would it change now?
Yes serious tax dollars are at stake this time, BUT so are personal damages from a dozen or so defendants.that the County and State won’t be able to pay.
That’s the concerning part for the main players this time around.
Lose some of your pension or have to sell your house? Have to discuss your personal finances in open court so a jury can decide how much to award for your outrageous conduct.
This case may have historical implications in that area like never before.
So those who will make a determination to settle hold some at their mercy.
No one has noticed the Feds haven’t been mentioned in all this?
That’s because they were smart and pulled out when they realized the case was a nothing burger and didn’t double down like the County and State did.
So now those who’s arrogance went beyond the norms may suffer accordingly.
And this new show boating mouth piece isn’t helping.
If someone thinks that’s a good strategy, let’s belly laugh.
The world according to Holtz. I hope this case resolves quickly so the “wisdom” of Hotz will end.
I hope so too 31 you’ll have no place to troll.
Imagine how embarrassing it’s going to be when the Federal jury finds out that the Superior Court jury and the Defendants have become friends after the trial. And when the Superior Court jurors take the stand and tell their story….. Oh my God, the Big Attorney from LA will be finished.
Lets add Judge Warner to the mix.
He volunteered to testify for the defense.
He did a stellar op ed after the trial.
It’s amazing how so many of you are so eager to shovel more of your tax dollars into Burum’s pocket. Has your life gotten that much better since the last time you did it? Do you think he’ll buy YOU a private jet this time? Suckers.
#35 maybe you should be upset at Mike Ramos. He’s the one who screwed up. It’s not the first time.
Anonymous #35:
I am not eager to “shovel more tax dollars into Jeff Burum’s pocket.”
Unfortunately, the system is structured so that bureaucrats and elected official can gamble with no risk. If they win, they get to grandstand and showboat. If they lose, they downplay or ignore it, and taxpayers pick up the tab.
What I AM “eager” for is the end of the tenure of District Attorney Mike Ramos, an absolute disgrace to the profession.
Agree with OoF…
I suspect Ramos is going to contribute involuntarily to the burum judgment as punitive damages for oppressive and malicious conduc,t will establish personal liability. As for his law license, dont bet that he still has one when all is said and done.
Maybe 35 can explain the 33 million dollars just paid out for that bad shooting in Barstow. That is another Ramos McMahon. conspiracy gone bad. Sounds like he is the sucker for continued idiocy.
Here’s a thought: Both Mr. Ramos and Mr. Burum are bad guys. It seems they were on the same team, along with Mr. Postmus, at one time. Here’s a second thought: All three, Mr. Ramos, Mr. Burum and Mr. Postmus are all bad guys. They got into a bit of a spat, that’s all. A $102 million spat. There’s a lot of other bad guys, too. The other ones just don’t seem to get more limelight than these three do.
#41 Ramos doesn’t handle spats very well does he? He embarrassed those who joined in.
If half of the anonymous comments on the would of could of should of’s meant something to the jury it should have been mentioned then. Better yet the great leader of the DA’s office could have gotten on the stand and explained it like those other useless lawyers tried to explain the aspects of the civil trial. What a joke that was. I don’t remember Postmus being asked how tight him and Ramos use to be.
The Motions to Dismiss by the County will be interesting……