Rosie says:No Double Standard! Richmond Speakout April 2-No Justice No Peace

Despite the results of a $30,000 city funded investigation of Leslie Knight showing financial malfeasance by Richmond City Human Resources Director Leslie Knight, the Contra Costa District Attorney Mark A. Peterson apparently is MIA. His failure to prosecute Knight is a double standard of prosecution. One rule for managers and bosses and one rule for city workers.
Call him and his office and let him know that it is time to do his job and prosecute Knight.
District Attorney Main Office (925) 957-2200


Richmond assistant city manager Leslie Knight misused resources, independent report finds
http://www.contracostatimes.com/west-county-times/ci_22751089/richmond-assistant-city-manager-abused-power-misused-resources

By Robert Rogers
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 03/08/2013 05:22:02 PM PST
Updated: 03/08/2013 07:31:37 PM PST

RICHMOND -- The second in command at City Hall violated several city policies, including using a city-provided car while also pocketing a monthly car allowance and misusing public employees and equipment, according to an independent investigation released to the city Friday.
The investigation by Sacramento-based Van Dermyden Allison Law was prompted by a city employee's allegations that assistant city manager Leslie Knight used public employees and facilities to enrich herself with a trinket business operated on city property and retaliated against those who spoke out.
The investigation "rejected most allegations of misconduct against (Knight)," a city news release said, but did find that she broke at least four city policies.
Stacie Plummer, 43, a finance manager in the Library and Cultural Services Department, prompted the investigation by circulating a 59-page complaint, including photographs, to top city officials and county, state and federal investigators late last year.
The city did not make the investigative report public, citing employee privacy laws.
In a two-page release issued Friday by his office, City Manager Bill Lindsay noted that the investigation's finding rejected allegations that Knight "spied" on Plummer with surveillance equipment, and found that she did not did not abuse her power or retaliate, harass or treat subordinates unequally.
But in addition to pocketing hundreds per month in car allowances
while also using a city car, Knight did direct a subordinate to access Plummer's email account after she filed her complaint and did use staff time, equipment and city storage rooms to "create free gift items ... for city employees," according to the release.
"(Knight) did not receive any financial gain from this practice," the release said.
Knight's monthly car allowance was $450, according to Plummer's complaint.
Reached late Friday, Plummer said the report was just the "tip of the iceberg," and that she hopes it will prompt additional investigation by the District Attorney's Office and the FBI. Plummer also noted the absence of specific disciplinary measures against Knight.
"She misused public funds and she retaliated, (the report) concludes that clearly," Plummer said. "Lindsay says there is zero tolerance for retaliation against employees, but it seems like it's still being tolerated."
Lindsay could not be reached for comment Friday but said in the news release that privacy rules prohibit disclosure of what, if any, disciplinary actions will be taken.
" ... I believe it to be appropriate to take administrative action to correct the situation," Lindsay said in the release. "However, the problems did not merit the termination of any employee."
Knight's secretary said Friday she was not in the office and was unavailable for comment.
Knight, 57, was one of Lindsay's first hires when he took the city manager position in 2005. She quit her post as Contra Costa County's human resources director to take the top personnel post in Richmond. Her base salary in 2011 was $220,000, with total compensation of $281,507, according to this newspaper's public employee salary database.
Plummer said she observed Knight misusing resources and breaking city policies from 2005 to 2011. Asked why she didn't report wrongdoing sooner, Plummer said she was afraid of repercussions and that misuse of public resources was pervasive in City Hall.
The investigation cost the city about $30,000.
Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 and follow him at Twitter.com/roberthrogers.


Sacramento-based law firm hired to investigate Richmond employee's allegations of misuse of public resources-Contra Costa DA Still Refuses To Prosecute
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_22145930/sacramento-based-law-firm-hired-investigate-richmond-employees
By Robert Rogers
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 12/07/2012 08:45:23 AM PST
Updated: 12/07/2012 04:54:11 PM PST

RICHMOND -- The city has hired a Sacramento-based law firm to investigate a city employee's allegations that the second-in-command at City Hall used public employees and facilities to enrich herself with a trinket business operated on city property.
The complaint also alleges that Leslie Knight, assistant city manager, who oversees the city's Human Resources Department, used intimidation and reprisals to squelch complaints about her activities.
Stacie Plummer, 43, a city employee for more than two decades, prompted the investigation by circulating a 59-page complaint, including photographs, to top city officials and county, state and federal investigators.
In the complaint, Plummer also alleges that Knight uses her city-issued car and gas card for personal use.
"Leslie Knight uses five Human Resources staff members during city time, within city offices, using city resources and compensated with city funds," the complaint reads, "to manufacture baby shower favors and her jewelry business marketing materials for use in the sale of said products to the outside public during and after city business hours."
The complaint includes photos of what appear to be city offices filled with ornately wrapped merchandise and an October 2008 email from Knight to Plummer and another employee suggesting that they "redo the spacing" on a flier advertising "Little Luxuries by Leslie Knight," a trinket business she ran.
An independent website for the jewelry distributor,calicojunodesigns.com, lists Knight's Little Luxuries business address as Richmond's Civic Center Plaza and includes the direct line to the Human Resources office.
Bonnie Riconda, the New York-based owner of Calico Juno Designs, said by phone Thursday that she hasn't shipped any products to Knight since last year, and when she did, it was for orders amounting to a few hundred dollars.
"It was intermittent; she wasn't doing a whole lot of business," Riconda said.
Riconda said she had no records of shipping products to the Civic Center Plaza address.
Reached by phone last week, Knight declined to comment, citing rules precluding her from speaking on personnel matters and the ongoing investigation.
Knight's base salary last year was $220,000, with total compensation of $281,507, according to this newspaper's public employee salary database.
According to documents obtained from the City Attorney's Office, Richmond is paying Van Dermyden Allison Law $30,000 to conduct an "independent investigation" into Plummer's claims; the contract runs from Sept. 1 to June 30. Investigators are conducting interviews with city employees and other witnesses regularly, including interviews with Knight and Plummer on Thursday, sources within City Hall say.
Plummer, listed in the complaint as a finance manager in the Library and Cultural Services Department, said in an interview this week she observed violations from 2005 to last year. Asked why she didn't report wrongdoing sooner, Plummer said she was afraid of repercussions and that misuse of public resources was pervasive in City Hall.
"Everybody knew," Plummer said. "It's hard to step out and say this wrong."
City Manager Bill Lindsay, Knight's direct supervisor, said in an interview late last week that he received Plummer's complaint several months ago and that it was best to contract an outside firm to investigate.
"I am (Leslie's) supervisor, and I feel that it's appropriate that the investigation is done at arm's length," Lindsay said.
A graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Law, Knight was one of Lindsay's first hires when he took the city manager position in 2005. Knight, 57, quit her post as Contra Costa County's Human Resources director to take over the top personnel post in Richmond.
Knight said at the time that she was drawn to the new job by Lindsay's vision and the prospect of helping turn Richmond around. Knight and Lindsay began work on the same day in February of 2005.
Knight has received high praise from Lindsay, and the city has enjoyed improved fiscal health and a newfound reputation for professional management, a far cry from the crisis and corruption of the early 2000s.
Plummer said she met for more than two hours Friday morning with a District Attorney's Office investigator in Martinez. She said the investigator seemed most interested in the allegations that Knight misused a city car and used public office space and employees to help a private business.
The District Attorney's Office did not respond to calls for comment this week.
Plummer said she does not plan to sue the city but filed her complaint to stop what she described as the "corrupt, retaliatory atmosphere" in some city departments.
Both Plummer and Knight continue to work normal schedules with the city.
Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 or rrogers [at] bayareanewsgroup.com, and follow him atTwitter.com/roberthrogers.

Photo of bully Leslie Knight, Director of Human Resources For The City Of Richmond