The Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury has accused Stanislaus Council of Governments Executive Director Rosa De León Park of lavishly spending public funds.
Park was also accused of misusing credit cards at the expense of taxpayers, as well as spending on luxury hotels, airfare and rental cars.
The big picture: The grand jury investigation found that Park used rental cars almost nonstop for more than three years at a cost exceeding $100,000, mostly for commuting from her home in Stockton to work in Modesto.
- More than half of the car rentals, billed to taxpayers, were luxury vehicles including BMWs, Mercedes Benz and Jeep Grand Cherokees.
- Park’s excessive spending included first-class airline flights and lodging at Ritz-Carlton hotels in Washington D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta, instead of opting for less costly options during conferences she attended.
- Ritz-Carlton stays from 2020 to 2024 cost $33,072 in total.
State of play: The allegations have raised concerns about financial oversight within the agency, especially after voters entrusted the Stanislaus Council of Governments with millions of dollars in annual revenue from a transportation tax approved in 2016…