Helping Our Peninsula's Environment

Media Release      October 10, 2003 
For more info -- David Dilworth 624-6500 

Monterey County Supervisor Edith Johnsen Accepts $1000 Only Two Months After Casting the Key VoteApproving the Donor's Project. 
10 Outraged Public Interest Groups Demand Supervisors Appoint Commission to Clean Up Government Decisions

Oct. 10, 2003 (Monterey) In documents which have just been put together, County Supervisor Edith Johnsen took a $1,000 campaign contribution two months after casting the key vote approving a controversial development. (In rare form - Planning Staff actually recommended denial of the project.) Tony Lombardo was lawyer for the developer.

Supervisor Edith Johnsen

Nine local public interest organizations and one political party are outraged that these acts are LEGAL and demand the other Supervisors immediately appoint a financial-conflict-free Commission to plug this loophole with a Clean Government Decisions Law. 

These include Helping Our Peninsula's Environment, the Monterey County Green Party, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, Carmel Valley Women's Network, Save Our Peninsula Committee, Pacific Grove Neighbors, Save Our Waterfront Committee, Say No to Ft. Ord's Toxic Burning, and Vision Inspiring  Sanctity Integrity of Nature and Concerned Citizens of Monterey County. 

Barbara Bass Evans of Save Our Waterfront Committee added, "This is a highly inappropriate financial conflict of financial interest." Ed Leeper of Save Our Peninsula Committee said "An ethical elected official would have refused the $1000." David Dilworth of HOPE said "We insist that these types of deals, which are common in Monterey County, are permanently brought to a halt. We have prepared a draft of a law that would stop them."

* At a County Supervisor’s Board Meeting on Tuesday, September 14, 1999 the board approved a project for Developer Adam Mosed Mohsin. 

* Supervisor Edith Johnson seconded a motion to approve the application and voted for it. The vote was 3-2. Without Ms. Johnsen's vote the controversial project would not have been approved.

* Only two months later, Supervisor Johnson accepted Project Developer Mosed Moshin's $1,000 contribution. Edith Johnson recorded the acceptance for Friends of Edith Johnson Campaign Committee on Nov 24, 1999. 

Click to see -- Supervisor's Minutes,Johnsen's 460 Campaign Reporting Form, Article explaining the inadequacy of existing laws, and Model Clean Government Decisions Ordinance.
 

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831 / 624-6500 P.O. Box 1495, Carmel, CA 93921

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This Page Last Updated October 10, 2003

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