Thomas Espinosa – Oakland Public Ethics Commission Fines Him $309,600 – Here’s Why

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Late Friday night, the Public Ethics Commission took last enactment to enforce $309,600 successful fines against Thomas Espinosa, a erstwhile Oakland gathering inspector who was recovered to person committed 47 violations of the Oakland Government Ethics Act, including bribery, struggle of interest, failing to study income, misusing a City position, and misusing City resources.

Thomas Espinosa was a City worker from 2005 to 2016, moving arsenic a Specialty Combination Inspector successful the City’s Planning and Building Department’s Code Enforcement Division. In aboriginal 2016, managers successful the Planning and Building Department brought their concerns regarding City worker Thomas Espinosa’s behaviour to the attraction of the Public Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Unit, which opened an investigation. Shortly aft Espinosa was notified and interviewed by Commission investigators, helium near his City position. Meanwhile, Commission unit pursued the probe and administrative enactment against Espinosa, culminating successful a study to the Commission successful 2018, an administrative proceeding successful April 2021, and last determination of a $309,600 punishment by the Commission connected September 17, 2021.

Commission staff’s probe recovered that Espinosa utilized his City presumption arsenic an inspector to put nether the array “quid pro quo” deals with assorted spot owners. He assigned himself oregon an accomplice to inspect a spot oregon respond to a ailment regarding a spot and transportation a spot proprietor to wage him a currency interest to unafraid a walk connected gathering inspections oregon permits. One specified incidental progressive the cover-up of a life-safety contented astatine a residential flat complex. On different occasions, Espinosa convinced Oakland spot owners oregon investors to prosecute and wage him arsenic a concern partner, autarkic advisor oregon gathering contractor connected their gathering projects, contempt the conflicts with his City presumption and without reporting these interests to the City arsenic required by law. He further enlisted the assistance of chap gathering inspector Anthony Harbaugh, who was fined $55,000 by the Commission earlier this twelvemonth for his relation successful Espinosa’s permit-approval scheme. Harbaugh besides near his City presumption pursuing the Commission’s investigation.

“This lawsuit is, by far, the astir extended and egregious enactment ever investigated by the Public Ethics Commission,” said Commission Chair Michael MacDonald. “The grounds successful this lawsuit showed a signifier of intentional behaviour for idiosyncratic summation astatine the disbursal of the City, spot owners, and the public, justifying maximum-level penalties of $5,000 oregon up to 3 times the magnitude unlawfully received, for each violation.” The Public Ethics Commission discussed the lawsuit astatine its nationalist gathering connected Friday, September 17, 2021, pursuing 2 anterior meetings successful which it reviewed records from the administrative proceeding that was held connected April 27, 2021. The proceeding serviceman made findings of information and recommended a punishment of $210,000. The Commission has the authorization to reappraisal and set the punishment and, successful this case, decided to summation the good magnitude to $309,600, citing the intentional quality of the violations and the interaction connected nationalist information arsenic rationale for pursuing maximum fines. The Commission’s determination connected this substance is last and constitutes closure of the Commission’s administrative process.

The Public Ethics Commission is simply a seven-member committee of Oakland residents who, together, supply argumentation absorption and determine connected enforcement actions brought by Commission staff. In 2014, Oakland voters approved Measure CC to fortify the Commission’s authority, independence, and staffing (from 2 positions to six). Also successful 2014, the Commission drafted and introduced the Government Ethics Act (the instrumentality enforced successful the supra case), which was adopted unanimously by City Council that aforesaid year.

That’s based connected an Oakland Public Ethics Commission Press Release.

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