County Planning Director Rob Mendiola was served Wednesday with
a notice to appear in court because lawyer Michael Pekin is seeking
whistleblower protection for two planning department employees he
says will implicate Mendiola in the corruption charges filed
against Supervisor Richard Scagliotti.
Hollister – County Planning Director Rob Mendiola was served Wednesday with a notice to appear in court because lawyer Michael Pekin is seeking whistleblower protection for two planning department employees he says will implicate Mendiola in the corruption charges filed against Supervisor Richard Scagliotti.
Mendiola, who did not return phone calls Thursday, will appear before a San Benito County Superior Court Judge as early as Tuesday for a restraining order hearing. Pekin, who represents plaintiff Juan Monteon in the Scagliotti suit, said neither Ken Specialli nor James Stevens who work in the planning department, have signed the declarations because they first want protection from retaliation under the whistleblower protection section of California’s Labor Code.
“We need to realize that these are two human beings with obligations, with families, with hopes for the future, that have come forward and said ‘Here’s the truth, and here’s what’s going on,'” Pekin said.
Stevens was out of the office Wednesday and Thursday, and Specialli did not return phone calls for comment Thursday.
Their unsigned declarations state Mendiola used his position as head of the Planning Commission for the personal gain of himself and a small “clique” of other county officials. Pekin claims Mendiola:
Gave orders to speed up building code approvals at the Churchill Nut plant after it was purchased by Scagliotti so Scagliotti could sell the plant quickly for a profit
Pre-dated inspection cards on rental property Mendiola himself owns to avoid inspections on improvements to the property.
Delayed the opening of the Aromas Cafe because one of its owners had “given the Planning Department a hard time.”
Conspired to open a biker bar with Scagliotti and another county official to coincide with the start of the first Hollister Independence Rally. Mendiola allegedly wanted to use one of the two department employees as a “front man” so it wouldn’t look like a conflict of interest for Mendiola and Scagliotti to make money off of the rally, a nonprofit event that raises money for children’s charities.
Scagliotti hung up Thursday when the Free Lance contacted him on his cell phone.
Pekin has been wrangling with the outgoing supervisor for more than a year. He has a corruption suit filed against Scagliotti dating back to October of 2003. The suit was brought to Pekin by an anonymous group called Los Valientes.
It states that Scagliotti allegedly pressured the Board of Supervisors to take its vehicle repair contract from Autoworks to San Benito Tire, the owner of which was a tenant of Scagliotti’s. The suit also alleges Scagliotti abused his power in the county to have the Churchill Nut plant rezoned from agricultural to manufacturing land, which made him a profit of $1.2 million. Finally, the suit states Scagliotti violated the Brown Act open meeting law along with the county’s four other supervisors while drafting the growth control initiative Measure G for his own personal gain.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at jq*****@fr***********.com.
