Posted on 06/20/2005 6:59:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Six current and former trustees of the board that oversees San Diego's beleaguered pension fund pleaded not guilty Monday to felony conflict of interest charges.
The case against Ron Saathoff, John Torres, Sharon Wilkinson, Mary Vattimo, Terri Webster and Cathy Lexin contain the first criminal charges in the pension-fund scandal that prompted the resignation of Mayor Dick Murphy. The San Diego County District Attorney's office filed the charges last month.
"Our clients have been singled out inappropriately in a very highly charged political climate in this city," Frank Vecchione, Webster's attorney, told reporters outside the courthouse.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Wellington scheduled a preliminary hearing Aug. 22.
The pension has a $1.37 billion deficit, largely a result of decisions in 1996 and 2002 that allowed San Diego to escape payments to the retirement fund and - at the same time - enhance pension benefits.
According to court documents, a pension board vote in July 2002 was linked to a deal to boost pension benefits that benefited the six defendants.
The vote boosted Webster's pension nearly 11 percent, making her eligible for benefits of more than $130,000 a year, while Saathoff's annual pension rose 36 percent to allow him to collect more than $116,000 annually.
The six defendants, who remain free while the charges are pending, were charged with violating a state law that prohibited them as trustees from having a financial interest in matters up for consideration by the pension fund board. If convicted, they each face a maximum of three years in state prison and fines.
"CA: San Diego pension officials plead not guilty to felony charges (conflict of interest)"
Great headline - I suppose pleading guilty WOULD be a conflict of their interests -
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