1 year ago
30
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A erstwhile Fresno Unified Trustee and a longtime Fresno governmental person are accusing erstwhile Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez of wrongful spending.
Luisa Medina and Juan Arambula sent a missive to the Fresno City Attorney, Andrew Janz, with their concerns and are asking him to investigate.
"He's utilizing nationalist funds, the payment to the spouse who happens to beryllium the campaigner to regenerate him," Medina said.
Medina says a newsletter Chavez's metropolis assembly bureau distributed is illegally promoting his wife, Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, and her run for the District 5 seat.
Chavez held the spot for that territory for years, earlier helium won an predetermination successful November for a Fresno Board of Supervisors seat.
The newsletter successful question showcases a representation of Jonasson Rosas astatine the opening of a caller wellness session successful District 5. Chavez says she lone appeared successful the missive successful her authoritative relation arsenic a Fresno Unified Trustee for the area. He says that she worked arsenic a trustee to assistance unfastened the clinic.
The missive does not notation she's moving for the metropolis assembly seat.
"The newsletter does not notation immoderate benignant of, you know, campaigner to ballot oregon reason oregon support. It's conscionable an informational newsletter that was being passed out," Chavez said.
Chavez says he's been utilizing this newsletter for years, and he's ne'er had immoderate issues. He says it is not for his run and was utilized wrong his authoritative duties to springiness radical accusation connected metropolis services. He says his newsletter has been approved by a past metropolis lawyer and follows each rules regarding newsletters.
"I was a small spot surprised. I cognize some Juan Arambula and Luisa Medina, they person my compartment telephone number. They could person called me, but I truly judge that this is much politically motivated where, you cognize what, 4 days distant from an election," helium said.
Medina says this is not astir politics, and adds she nary longer adjacent lives successful the City of Fresno. She says she's disquieted astir predetermination integrity. In her missive to the metropolis attorney, she questions wherefore Chavez's governmental advisor Alex Tavlian would motion a caller declaration covering the full year, knowing Chavez's would beryllium vacating the metropolis assembly seat.
"That small portion conscionable raises an alarm astir whether oregon not perchance nationalist funds are being misused. So it's worthwhile taking a look astatine that. And that's what we're asking," Medina said.
Chavez says the declaration is babelike upon enactment performed and says if there's nary work, nary outgo is sent.
City lawyer Andrew Janz says these complaints are extracurricular of his occupation duties, and if determination were to beryllium immoderate investigation, it would apt beryllium done the Fresno District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit. City Council President Mike Karbassi besides says it would not beryllium wrong his relation to analyse this either.
YourCentralValley.com reached retired to Tavlian and helium says helium has nary remark connected the matter.
The peculiar predetermination for this territory is Tuesday, March 18.
