Why Did this Happen?

Pasadena city hall on New Year’s Day – 2015 (Photo -staff).

A lot of questions are swirling in the minds of many citizens and officials about the scandal that rocked Pasadena’s city hall the week of the Rose Parade.

By News Desk

City council members will be asking a lot of questions on Monday at a special meeting designed to address the issue (read about it here.) Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck and staff will be on hand at the public meeting beginning at 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 in the Council Chamber of City Hall.

Frustration and disbelief

Social Media was abuzz about the scandal. Many took to Facebook to comment and raise questions.

One comment questioned the length it took to uncover the alleged theft:

11 years and no other audit uncovered this?

— Leni Whatshername

Another commenter resorted to the fact that it’s inevitable to ask for preventable actions:

It happens more than you know. Hence why internal audit is necessary to prevent this from happening.

–Hwesu Phillips

And another asked for swift justice:

Outrageous. We all need to hold people in charge accountable.

–Richard McDonald

How did this happen?

Councilmember Margaret McAustin expressed her shock, according to the local newspaper, Pasadena Star News:

Why did this happen? Why was this employee given all this authority and responsibility and why wasn’t he supervised?

Councilmember Terry Tornek, a mayoral candidate in the upcoming elections that will take place on March 10, took to his Facebook page to highlight the fact that he started questioning irregularities in the fund back in May 2014 (listen to the full meeting’s audio here):

I call it a slush fund because that’s what it is and I object to it.

Mayor Bogaard said at a hastily arranged meeting at City Hall on December 30:

We must…ensure that we enact measures to protect our City from future crimes to every extent possible.

City Manager Michael J. Beck called the scandal “a complete breakdown of our internal controls.”

Suspects

Meanwhile, prosecutors have accused the following of 60-count felony indictment:

• Danny Ray Wooten, a former city public works manager and a preacher at the New Covenant Church in Pomona.
• Melody Jenkins, Wooten’s personal assistant.
• Tyrone Collins of Collins Electric in Altadena.

The charges include grand theft, embezzlement, and conflict of interest. The theft was alleged to have occurred over a span of 11 years.

Stay Tuned.

Related topic: Who would you fire?

The City Council will receive a briefing from the City Manager and staff at a public meeting beginning at 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 in the Council Chamber of City Hall. You can watch the meeting live at this link starting at 5:00 p.m.