Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The matter is "under review"

.....I want to apprise readers of new developments in the John Williams “disturbing discrepancies” matter. (For background, see this.)
.....Early yesterday, I went online to the Orange County government website and found an organizational chart that seemed to indicate that the person Williams answers to is the County Executive Officer, Thomas Mauk.
.....So I wrote him, explaining the “disturbing discrepancies in public records concerning” Mr. Williams. I wrote: “At appears that, in several instances, Williams claimed a full day’s work at his county job on days when, according to SOCCCD records, he was at conferences.”
.....I closed with: “If you are not the person to contact, please advise.”
.....Mr. Mauk did not write back, but, after a day and a half, I heard from Howard Sutter, CEO of Community/Media Relations (County):
I am writing in response to your e-mail of May 4, 2010 sent to Thomas G. Mauk, County Executive Officer. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. The matter you referenced is currently under review.
As I expected, I was also apprised of “the nature of the reporting relationship between elected department heads and the County Executive Officer.” It’s kind of complicated.
.....I was glad to hear that “the matter” is now “under review.” But that’s pretty vague. So I wrote Sutter back immediately:
Would it be possible to shed any light on the "review" to which you refer and that is currently under way? Who is performing the review? To whom will that person report? When will the review by done?
Soon, I heard back. Sutter wrote:
I am not directly involved in the matter, so I do not have any additional information at this time.
Well, that won’t do. I pressed for more information.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE:

At 6:55 this morning (May 6), Mr. Sutter wrote to say
After my e-mail to you yesterday, I learned the matter has been referred to the
Internal Audit Department. That is all of the information I have at this time.
Read about the IAD here.

Listed on the site is a fraud hot line: “Report to us [IAD] about questionable behavior, waste, and abuse involving county vendors, employees, and processes.”

There is an Audit Oversight Committee (AOC). According to the website, "The AOC members are as follows:

• Chair, Board of Supervisors
• Vice-Chair, Board of Supervisors
• Auditor-Controller
• County Executive Officer
• Public Member
• Treasurer Tax-Collector, Ex-Officio Member (Non Voting)"

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fishy.

Anonymous said...

Williams is going to blame it all on an underling. Just watch.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the work and info!

Anonymous said...

Attaboy, Roy. Imagine what would happen if you or I were caught double-dipping. Stay on these thieving ratfuckers.

--100 miles down the road

BvT said...

Well, 100, I barely dip one time let alone twice. Plus I teach five days a week. Plus I do lots of work beyond my contractual obligation: on committees, etc.
But none of that matters. Some of these people (e.g., Williams) are so ruthless that, if they "have to," they'll invent or create misdeeds on my behalf.
Luckily, I still have my lawyer and, just barely, we can still bring the press into these things to make it difficult for wheeler-dealers and spinners to engineer fake factoids.
It would help if people (not you, you're 100 miles away) would express their outrage or concern. People! Let the world know what you think about the (apparent) phenomenon of a public official claiming (very well-paid) workdays in Santa Ana while, in truth, he's sunning his ass at a luxury hotel in Tampa or Orlando, all on the taxpayers' dime.

Anonymous said...

You'd think Williams' fellow board members would show some concern as well.

said...

Drat, moi 'twere a-gonna post about a National Day Of Thought but ye beat me to the punch.....line.

BvT said...

Tor, go ahead and use the "idea." I won't carp about it. --BvT

Anonymous said...

We can change it all and tell Willimas where to go!!! Vote Colleen Callahan June 8th for Public Administrator. Do not allow him to get re-elected and continue to steal from tax-payers.

Anonymous said...

Exactly 5:45!!

Anonymous said...

I am sure getting tired of reading about this guy (not your stories, but him as a dumbass!). Seems like our tax dollars could be better spent.

Anonymous said...

Williams has more pull than I thought on the RNC. They are holding their national convention in Tampa in 2012! I betcha he will be in two places at the same time!

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...