The Salinas firm conducting a private investigation of San
Benito County politics has received daily, unsolicited phone calls
from an array of county employees revealing information relating to
the probe, according to a source close to the investigation.
Michael Pekin, the lawyer for the anonymous group of local
residents commissioning the investigation, confirmed the flood of
recent calls received by Central Coast Investigative Services.
While the number of calls received each week varies, the
firm
– on average – has received
”
daily phone calls
”
from county employees, according to the source. The county
employs about 450 people on a full-time basis.
The Salinas firm conducting a private investigation of San Benito County politics has received daily, unsolicited phone calls from an array of county employees revealing information relating to the probe, according to a source close to the investigation.
Michael Pekin, the lawyer for the anonymous group of local residents commissioning the investigation, confirmed the flood of recent calls received by Central Coast Investigative Services.
While the number of calls received each week varies, the firm – on average – has received “daily phone calls” from county employees, according to the source. The county employs about 450 people on a full-time basis.
The higher than usual number of calls received in recent weeks – by county employees and other residents – have forced the firm to expand its voicemail system, according to the source.
Most leads offered by county employees have pointed out alleged wrongdoing in government – many of which have been addressed in the first report or will be included in the second one, according to the source. Some employees’ assertions, however, have provoked attention to previously unexplored issues.
“If that’s the case, they ought to be calling the Grand Jury because that’s what the Grand Jury is all about,” said John Hodges, who oversees county employees in his combined job as the county clerk, auditor, recorder and head elections official.
County Counsel Karen Forcum had not heard about government employees potentially aiding the private investigation.
“And I don’t have any comment on that,” she said.
While the Salinas firm has been conducting the probe for about six months, the first resulting report was released to the Free Lance and subsequently made public in mid-October. The group commissioning the investigation calls itself Los Valientes, which translates into “the brave ones” in Spanish.
The first report is 480 pages, mostly made up of substantiating documentation, and includes six cases of alleged corruption by four-term Supervisor Richard Scagliotti. The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission received a copy and is currently investigating its merits, according to a source linked to the FPPC.
“County employees have the right to do whatever they want,” said Sheriff Curtis Hill, whose department was a focus in one of the first report’s cases. “It’s not for me to impede on what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, private investigator Dave Henderson, who does not publicly comment on the matter, is currently compiling a second report containing six more cases of alleged corruption. While the first report focused on Scagliotti, the second will examine a wider variety of government officials.
Its allegations will include “financial payoffs, side deals, tax reporting and paying issues, property acquisition issues, political favoritism and pandering and fraternization,” according to the source.
While Pekin is aware of the extraordinary number of incoming phone calls to Henderson’s office, he declined to further comment on the matter. He has previously confirmed he is currently working on some type of litigation relating to the investigation.
“I’m kind of on hold,” Pekin said.
