Incumbent Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia (D-I) has denied charges of conflict of interest from Mister Phillips, an announced candidate for the Supervisor position in 2010. In his blog Phillips writes
Whether you agree with Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia’s decision to support gaming in West County after all, there is something you should know.
Supervisor Gioia is friends with Eric Zell, the lobbyist for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, one of the tribes that would like to build a casino in West County. Supervisor Gioia and Mr. Zell are also colleagues. They sit together on the board of Doctors Medical Center and work together on the Richmond Farm 2 Table Program.
As an attorney, I believe Supervisor Gioia’s ongoing relationship with one of the casino lobbyists is a conflict of interest. Supervisor Gioia had a duty to publicly disclose his conflict. He also had a duty to abstain from voting on the expansion of gaming in West County. Supervisor Gioia did neither to my knowledge.
Instead, Supervisor Gioia got the entire Board of Supervisors to vote for more gaming. After Supervisor Gioia cast his vote, he said, “All of our work up until now has also increased our ability to bargain with a greater position of strength,” says the Contra Costa Times. The “work up until now” is the Board’s initial opposition to more gaming, which Supervisor Gioia led.
Supervisor Gioia’s ongoing relationship with one of the casino lobbyists, vote for the expansion of gaming, and boast that his initial opposition increased the county’s leverage raise serious doubt he ever really opposed the casinos.
In response, Gioia told Halfway To Concord:
There was no conflict of interest on my vote to approve an MOU between the County and the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians regarding the payment of revenues from the proposed Pt. Molate Casino to the County.
With regard to Mr. Zell, I understand that he provides consulting services to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians with regard to a proposed casino in North Richmond, which is in competition with the proposed Pt. Molate Casino. Mr. Zell is a publicly elected board member of the West Contra Costa Healthcare District and serves as a member of the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Board which governs Doctors Hospital.
Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, County Health Director Bill Walker, County Health Chief Financial Officer Pat Godley and myself all serve on the Doctors Hospital JPA Board as well. Mr. Zell is also the President of the Richmond Children’s Foundation Board of Directors. The Richmond Children’s Foundation is a partner in the Richmond Farm 2 Table Program with Contra Costa County. This unique program is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project which allows West County residents the opportunity to purchase locally grown produce.
None of these relationships constitute a conflict of interest under state law.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Mike, aren’t you one of Gioia’s political appointee’s?
This attack for “conflict of interest,” and the similar guilt-by-association attack more recently made by this would be elected official are about as spurious as they get.
The political consultant in question is a consultant for a *different* Native American tribe that wouldn’t benefit at all, but rather would most likely be *harmed* by a tribal Casino being authorized at Point Molate.
The Supervisors compromise on (NOT support for) the Point Molate Casino in no way benefits the consultant in question.
Baseless attacks grounded in misdirected conspiracy theories are tearing our country apart at the national level–this is not something we in West County should accept.
Seems to me Mister Phillips owes Supervisor Gioia an apology.
We need a change and a new face. Wish you luck on getting the BOS Position in 2010.
Do you take national origin/discriminaiton cases or would you know anyone who would?
Lately, anyone who doesn’t like an elected representative or dislikes a policy they purse, they attack the candidate with a baseless charge of “conflict of interest”.
If you tell a lie enough times it starts to stick.
I think he didn’t address that because a simple friendship can not be a “conflict of interest”. The state guidelines on conflicts are very clear.
Here is just one source-
http://www.ag.ca.gov/publications/coi.pdf
I noticed Gioia didn’t address his friendship with Zell.