FPPC Says Hands Tied, Unable To Compel Detrick To Repay $93,500 in Illegally Used Campaign Funds

May 21, 2015 | Following a closed session at their regular monthly meeting this morning, the California Fair Political Pr...

May 21, 2015 |
Following a closed session at their regular monthly meeting this morning, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) determined they have no recourse to compel Elk Grove City Council Member Steve Detrick to repay his campaign committee.
The matter stemmed from a stipulation agreement signed by Detrick last October after the FPPC determined that he had illegally used $93,500 of his campaign committee funds for personal use. At the time of the agreement, Detrick attested in the signed statement that he had personally reimbursed the $93,500 to the campaign committee.
Because of his claim, the number of counts Detrick faced was reduced to one and, the FPPC suggested a $3,500 fine rather than the $5,000 maximum fine that could have been imposed. At today's meeting, FPPC Chair Jodi Remke read from a prepared statement that laid out the chronology of the matter. 
"Mr. Detrick had represented that he personally reimbursed his campaign committee for the improperly spent fund," she said. "Although the act does not require reimbursement, this fact was offered by Mr. Detrick in mitigation."
Remke went on to say that several months later the FPPC learned "that the representation by Mr. Detrick was false. He had not refunded the money."
As a result of the misrepresentation, Remke said the FPPC's legal staff thoroughly examined the matter and after consulting the California's Attorney General's office, it was determined that there is no recourse requiring Detrick to repay the $93,500. 
"The commission is putting internal pro-active systems in place to make sure this situation does not happen again," she concluded.  

Copyright © 2015 by Elk Grove News. All rights reserved.
See video below - discussion starts at approximately 1 hour 21 minute mark.
    


Post a Comment Default Comments

23 comments

FPPC Insider said...

Maybe someday EGN will provide the complete story. What Detrick signed and agreed to with the chief endorsement officer at the FPPC is not what is being represented to the FPPC board. There were several drafts of the stipulation. The final stipulation that Detrick signed after all the facts were provided and the terms for the settlement were agreed to only included the 3500 dollar fine and that has been paid on October 9, 2015.

Anonymous said...

Hey Insider above,
Tell Detrick to release the documents to EGN so "the complete story" can be told. You complain, but your boy doesn't deliver. Imagine that! Let me ask you this, Mr Insider....why did the FPPC have this item on the agenda if, as you say, EGN has it all wrong?? It appears FPPC has changed some internal procedures so this won't happen again..that tells me you slipped through a huge crack and if your boy had any integrity at all, he'd pay up the money he allegedly agreed to pay...that is, unless you have some documents you want to share that says something different.

Detrick continues to disappoint. He stole this money; he got caught; there was a snafu in the paperwork; he claims innocence; yet fails to provide any documents to the citizen so we can judge for ourselves. Poor example of a leader; of a councilmen; as a citizen. I'm sure Detrick is sipping some nice whiskey tonight. However, people like him will get theirs, sooner or later...just ask Mr. Leary. Same mentality; different face.

Didn't fall off the turnip truck said...

The FPPC admits it let Detrick fall through the cracks, but they confirm that he lied to them about repaying the $93,000. He actually signed a stipulation that he repaid that sum to his campaign fund. Those are the facts BLACK & WHITE.

The councilman has not offered ANYTHING to refute those facts. I'm pretty confident that if he had a document absolving him of repaying that money and the FPPC and he both signed off on it, he would have produced it rather than seeing his reputation destroyed over the past weeks. Disclosure of that simple document that Mr. Insider refers to would put this discussion to bed immediately. So, if it exists, where is it?

Mr Insider?
Mr. Detrick?

I'm with turnip truck. said...

Mr. Insider better check his information. October 9, 2015 is still months into the future.

Didn't they make a movie about that? Detrick, I guess, plays Biff.

That makes sense.

Naomi said...

Checking facts as presented. The stipulation provided by the FPPC was dated October 16, 2014 that says Detrick HAD REPAID THE MONEY.

FPPC Insider says that Detrick signed his stipulation on October 9, 2015 (I'm sure he/she meant 2014) a week before the last (Oct 16) stipulation provided EGN by the FPPC.

Why would there be additional later stipulation if the issues were finalized and signed by the parties a week earlier? I'm pretty sure in legal parlance that the last document properly signed and dated by the parties supercedes any previous agreements.

Is there an attorney out there than can clarify this?

Anonymous said...

You would think a FPPC insider would know their own facts. Did anyone notice all of the typos and bad grammar? Chief “Endorsement” officer! Really? What a joke! It isn’t too hard to figure out who the “insider” is trying to cover up wrongdoing by making up new-fangled, albeit easy to check, facts with one email to the FPPC Chief of Enforcement.

Anonymous said...

How can this man even hold his head up in public, not to mention his smug, self-satisfied demeanor during council meetings. Anyone who contributes one penny to his political fund in the future should have their head examined. This is how he uses it - then lies and gets away with it. Isn't there a process for booting him out for this heinous behavior?

Anonymous said...

To FPPC Insider,

If a reader is to make some sense of your comment, you seem to be insinuating that former FPPC Enforcement Chief Gary Winuk made some secret agreement that the $93,500 did not have to be repaid and the only corollary was one count for a fine of $3,500. And to make matters worse, since Winuk’s departure, you say the current staff is conspiring to keep that secret agreement from the Commission.

I wonder how Winuk and current FPPC staff will respond when asked.

Apathy said...

"If you don't think I'm doing a good job, then vote me out"

Detrick, 2014


"I've been in public service for 40 years"

Detrick, 2015

Anonymous said...



Look like we have corrupted regulators and an unethical EG city councilman in this case.

EG CITY LEADERS AND POLICES have established a pattern of not owning up to their responsibilities.
This is not the first case of this kind and it will not be the last. Our city leaders' unethical behaviors costed our city potential long term investors. Who want to do business with a bunch of crooks with guns disguise in police uniforms?



Anonymous said...

Interesting Anon. 7:24.

Anonymous said...

This is embarrassing for our city. Time to go Detrick. Somebody please run against this guy. I'm ready for a whole new Council but I'll give Suen a chance. I see him trying. Ly says nothing and just keeps talking about the schools. Davis and Hume can't get development to happen fast enough.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Detrick,
You really need to come clean. Why haven't you talked to your constituents yet? Your silence is deafening. I really want to hear what you have to say. If EGN isn't correct in what they are reporting, then you sir, have the duty to set the record straight. How long do we need to wait?

Anonymous said...

When has any politician ever "come clean" and admitted anything? They have no conscience, no shame, no sense of accountability, and they will always spin the story to make themselves the victim. They supposedly work for us, yet they put themselves above us and don't have to follow the same rules. He could lose his seat on the council but he still stole almost $100,000 in campaign funds and got away with it so who comes out ahead? I don't know why you even want to hear from him. The facts are crystal clear.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely right..what anon said at 9:50...we need to hear from this guy.

Anonymous said...

Detrick is currently under investigation by the FPPC for alleging doing the exact same thing, using campaign funds to pay yet another bill to Boutin Jones for his son's legal bills.

Yes, folks yet another investigation! What is that four complaints now in two years? And the other three were all sustained by the FPPC.

If he has some proof that the stipulation before “the Board” was not the correct one, then he should produce it. If Detrick refuses then he is blowing smoke and to quote him, ”That's a load of crap!”

Anonymous said...

Wonder how the developers who contributed all this money feel about it being used for Junior's Legal Defense Fund!

Anonymous said...

I don't care what developers think or want. I WANT to hear from Detrick himself. Is this story accurate or not? Are there other documents not yet made public that exonerates him? If so, let's see them. When IS he going to address the public? He needs to explain himself. This just shows poor leadership skills.

Better get the fire extinguisher, somebody's pants are on fire said...

Detrick must think we're all stupid! FPPC Insider indeed!

FPPC Insider is insinuating that someone in the Enforcement Division made a secret deal with him. Hmmm???? Isn't that the definition of a conspiracy? Which means someone in the Enforcement Division colluded with Detrick to commit a fraud against the FPPC Board and the citizens of Elk Grove. There then needs to be a criminal investigation and Detrick and his co-conspirator need to be prosecuted.

So, Mr. EGN, I'm fairly sure that it is safe for us to assume that you have asked Mr. Detrick for proof of his "secret" deal. I'm also fairly sure you will never see said proof from Detrick as more likely than not it does not exist.

Again, Mr. EGN, I'm fairly sure that it is safe to assume that you have already contacted the FPPC with Detrick's bogus allegations. Can't wait to hear what the FPPC has to say to this.

To use Detrick's own words, That's a load of crap! Time to go. Leave town. We don't want you. Did you hear the FPPC Chair, Detrick? She said you were not truthful. What's that word we use when someone isn't telling the truth?

What else haven't you told the truth about Detrick? I just took a Google trip and found several things that are certainly more likely than not untruthful. You said the FPPC complaints filed against you were untrue and you would be vindicated. Hmmm? Who was vindicated here? You claimed tens of thousands of dollars spent on investigations on matters that were unfounded. Hmmmm? Looks like they were founded....and then some.

You might get out of this with some of your reputation intact if you apologize to the citizens of Elk Grove, to those you defrauded of campaign funds and to those "ladies" that you defamed and ask for everyone's forgiveness. But my guess is you won't.

What's pathetic about this situation is the harm is not only to you Detrick, but your wife and sons as well. And that ultimately is what disgusts me about the whole thing. The only thing you really have is your name and reputation when you leave this world. To damage it and to leave your children to bear the fruit of that damage is sickening.

We should all remember, once you speak a lie, no matter how small, you are trapped into that lie and must always follow through....unless you have the courage to admit that you lied. The lie will continue to grow bigger and bigger until it ultimately consumes your life, the lives of those around you and finally swallows you whole.


Anonymous said...

WOW 17:16...guess I would have to agree. I'm sure EGN asked for clarification or a response, probably even before it was published and received none. Most of us would have tried to explain even if it took 100 pages. When I see no explanation or effort being made to clear this up I have to assume it is all true. Very sad indeed....

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a hick city run by a bunch of hicks.

Anonymous said...

Yupp. Pretty much. Just a bunch of big city wannabes.

Anonymous said...

So I guess the council member is too busy skiing or BBQing to address this issue? he had such potential but greed got in his way. I feel sorry that his wife and kids were brought into this, but he did this himself; and is making it worse by not at least trying to explain to us the whys, ifs, and how comes. Everyone makes mistakes; it is the humble who step up and admit it; but a coward remains silent.

Follow Us

Popular

Archives

Elk Grove News Minute






All previous Elk Grove News Minutes, interviews, and Dan Schmitt's Ya' Gotta be Schmittin' Me podcasts are now available on iTunes

Elk Grove News Podcast




item