Irvine Council Majority Running Scared of Possible State Probe

TheLiberalOC has learned the City of Irvine has directed the city’s lobbyist to do everything possible to persuade a State Legislative audit committee from investigating the conduct of the city’s two-person audit sub-committee and the investigators of a $1.3 million “audit” that cherry-picked witnesses and demanded private business records of Great Park contractors other clients.

Council member Beth Krom reports the city has dispatched Joe Gonsalves & Sons to the State Capitol to stop the Joint Legislative Audit Committee from asking the state auditor to review the politics of the Irvine Great Park investigation.  This was done without a vote of the city council.

While we don’t know if the lobbying effort order came from Shea, Lalloway, Or city staff, this is something that clearly warranted a vote by the council.  If the order came from Sean Joyce’s office, it would mark the first time the city manager made a decidedly partisan move to satisfy those council members who can fire him.  Joyce was only given a one year extension on his contract in March.

Anthony Taylor of Aleshire and Wynder, a firm hired on a sole source contract, is representing the City at Wednesday’s hearing and will be accompanied by Mayor Choi.  I’d like to know how $100,000 was spent on experts that the firm never hired according to a rebuttal by Forde & Mollrich.  Who got the money?

The scrambling to stop the possible audit is close to pure panic  it makes us wonder what council members Christina Shea and Jeff Lalloway have to hide to be so against an independent review of the investigation they directed that was so partisan in nature, one auditor refused to submit a bid for the RFP.

Lalloway and Shea are the authors of the Great Park Fiscal Transparency and Reform Act, but when it comes to shining a light on their use of taxpayer dollars for partisan political activity, they want folks to look the other way.  And empowering the city’s lobbyist to quash a closer look is more city taxpayer funds used for politics instead of public service.