District Attorney John Sarsfield demanded an additional $300,000
in funding from the county Tuesday, and outlined what he believes
is a conspiracy in the highest levels of county government to keep
him from prosecuting the Los Valientes case.
Hollister – District Attorney John Sarsfield demanded an additional $300,000 in funding from the county Tuesday, and outlined what he believes is a conspiracy in the highest levels of county government to keep him from prosecuting the Los Valientes case.
At the same time that Sarsfield accused three members of the Board of Supervisors of trying to prevent him from prosecuting the Los Valientes because, he claims, they are members or have ties to the group, Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz called for the State Attorney General to take over Sarsfield’s office because he is “clearly out of control.”
After learning he exceeded his services and supplies budget by $71,000, Sarsfield sent a letter to Board Chair Pat Loe Tuesday, demanding $300,000 – nearly a third of his annual $1 million budget – to continue operating his office. Failing to do so would jeopardize his ability to prosecute all cases including nine civil cases and the civil rights case against the anonymous group Los Valientes, Sarsfield wrote. He also leveled a host of allegations at three supervisors, saying they are trying to stop him from prosecuting the Los Valientes by not giving him money he says he needs to operate his office. Their motivations are “obvious,” Sarsfield wrote. The motivations – which those named adamantly deny – detailed by Sarsfield in the letter include:
n Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz is a member of the Los Valientes
n Supervisor Anthony Botelho has tried to dissuade his office from prosecuting the Los Valientes because his “friend, political ally and mentor” of former Supervisor Richard Place who Sarsfield said is a leader of the Los Valientes
n Supervisor Reb Monaco appointed suspected Los Valientes member Dennis Madigan to the county planning commission
n Monaco is a member of a group that “advocates for the de-criminalization of child pornography and pedophilia,” which suggests he is trying to stop Sarsfield’s civil prosecution of convicted sex offender Lance Purcell
Monaco, who is a member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, strenuously denied the allegations.
“I have a long history of being a professional sex educator at the college level. I have never in my long, lengthy career as a sex educator advocated in any way the support of any one who abuses children,” Monaco said. “And I have never interfered with the prosecutorial rights of the district attorney.”
Monaco taught human sexuality classes at Gavilan College for 16 years, and said the SSSS in no way advocates for the de-criminalization of child pornography or pedophilia. The SSSS, Monaco said, is “one of the oldest scientific groups in the area of human sexuality.” Monaco said the organization also puts out a scholarly journal.
“I have nothing to hide,” Monaco said.
Sarsfield said his allegations against the supervisors are based on information obtained from the SSSS Web site, public records, the deposition of Los Valientes attorney Mike Pekin’s former investigator Dave Henderson and other interviews.
The county stopped paying Sarsfield’s bills Monday after learning he exceeded his budget. That action trigged Sarsfield’s letter and the threat of a lawsuit against the county demanding the release of additional funding. But County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said a request for budget augmentation is a routine matter that Sarsfield can fix simply by going to the board and asking for additional funding.
However, instead of formally asking for more money, Sarsfield is proceeding with a lawsuit against the county for what he calls “illegal interference” with his civil and criminal prosecutions.
Supervisor Botelho called Sarsfield’s allegations that he let his friendship with Place interfere with the district attorney’s investigation of the Los Valientes “absolutely untrue.”
“I think Mr. Sarsfield has better odds of being the leader of the Los Valientes than Richard Place. I am totally honest, I value my integrity and I would never let my friendship with someone interfere with a civil investigation,” Botelho said. “I feel that Mr. Sarsfield is on a witch hunt that has blown his budget and he’s come up with an empty bag. That’s what I’m concerned about.”
Place, who is running for supervisor again this year, has repeatedly denied ever being involved with the Los Valientes. The Los Valientes, an anonymous group that has been called both a criminal street gang and a group of citizens fighting corruption, sued the county in 2003 alleging corruption.
De La Cruz has also denied being a member of the group.
“Mr. Sarsfield thinks he has a blank check of the taxpayers’ money,” he said. “He’s just chasing a shadow and there is no shadow.”
Sarsfield said he believes the board is purposely holding back his funding for everything from phone bills to expert witnesses in an attempt to stop him from prosecuting the Los Valientes.
The San Benito County Auditor’s office stopped paying Sarsfield’s bills after learning that the district attorney had gone $71,000 over his $146,000 services and supplies budget. He overshot the budget by paying for special prosecutor Nancy Battel to work on three cases related to the Los Valientes. Sarsfield, who recently accepted resignations from two of his three deputy district attorneys, also accused Thompson of refusing to fill the positions.
Thompson said she never refused or threatened Sarsfield with anything.
“I simply suggested that he leave those two positions vacant as long as possible to generate salary savings and end the years in the black,” Thompson said.
And Sarsfield said he believes that a key decision maker in the county auditor’s office has a family member who is suspected of being a member of Los Valientes. Sarsfield said he intentionally did not name the person.
County Finance Director Joe Paul Gonzales said Sarsfield’s budget problems have a simple solution.
“This has nothing to do with politics. All I’m doing is my job,” he said. “My job is to follow the letter of the law. All (Sarsfield) needs to do is put a budget item on the agenda and ask the board for approval.”
Several supervisors fought back at their meeting Tuesday. De La Cruz even went so far as to suggest that the board ask the California Attorney General’s Office to take over Sarsfield’s office.
“It is our responsibility as supervisors to protect the citizens of this county from this man who is clearly out of control. I think it’s time we call the Attorney General to take over the district attorney’s office before it’s too late,” De La Cruz told his fellow supervisors. “We need to be leaders and we need to say ‘no more’ to the district attorney spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars harassing citizens.”
Monaco and fellow Supervisor Don Marcus also spoke out against Sarsfield during the meeting.
San Benito County Supervisors Respond to DA Allegations:
Mr. De La Cruz is an LV member according to our information.
Response: “Mr. Sarsfield thinks he has a blank check of the taxpayers’ money,” De La Cruz said. “He’s just chasing a shadow and there is no shadow.”
Mr. Monaco appointed LV member Dennis Madigan to the planning commission. Later Monaco urged certain employees to cooperate with the allegedly fraudulent activities of the Pekins-LVs.
Response: “That’s not true,” Monaco said. “I have never interfered with the prosecutorial rights of the district attorney.”
Mr. Botelho has been repeatedly trying to dissuade us from prosecuting the LVs, and only recently did we learn that the ringleader of the group is his friend, political ally and mentor Richard Place. This suggests he is more than familiar with the activities of the LVs.
Response: “I think Mr. Sarsfield has better odds of being the leader of the Los Valientes than Richard Place. I am totally honest, I value my integrity and I would never let my friendship with someone interfere with a civil investigation,” Botelho said. “I feel that Mr. Sarsfield is on a witch hunt that has blown his budget and he’s come up with an empty bag. That’s what I’m concerned about.”
Additionally, Mr. Monaco’s well known membership in a group that provides a forum for, among other things, advocates for the de-criminalization of child pornography and pedophilia, suggests that he is attempting to prevent us from our aggressive prosecution of sex offenders like Lance Purcell.
Response: “I have a long history of being a professional sex educator at the college level. I have never in my long, lengthy career as a sex educator advocated in any way the support of any one who abuses children,” Monaco said.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
