SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KNX) — The San Bernardino City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to censure Mayor John Valdivia in response to allegations he misused public funds and resources for personal purposes and political campaigning.
The vote ended a months-long independent investigation into a campaign event Vladvia organized at a San Bernardino restaurant after his “State of the City” address in June.
An investigator hired by the city found Valdivia violated state mass mailing laws and misused both city funds and resources in designing and distributing invitations to the event — which was reportedly held at the business of a major campaign donor.
“This man has been advised and asked and been given all the opportunities,” Councilmember Fred Shorett said prior to the vote. “He has never believed that he has to operate or should operate according to the rules.”
The investigator also found Valdivia failed to report a $5,000 contribution from the Inland Empire Health Plan to be paid to the city for tickets to the event, as well as offsetting some of its costs.
Lastly, it was determined that the mayor commingled campaign fundraising events out of town with some city business, and submitted several requests for travel reimbursements without disclosing purposes for the trips, or who he met.
Valdivia declined to participate in the probe. On Wednesday, his attorney questioned the council’s authority to censure.
“Nowhere in the city charter does it authorize the City Council to hear a resolution of this nature against one of your own, the mayor included,” he said. He argued that exceptions to California campaign law permitted Valdivia to promote the “State of the City” address utilizing taxpayer money, and that he was not legally compelled to exhaustively document business trip expenses or the $5,000 donation.
“A political assasination of this mayor,” Valdivia’s attorney said Wednesday. “Without a basis in law. What other reason could there be?”
The vote did not remove Valdivia from office; rather, it communicated to members of the community that the council found his conduct objectionable.
Valdivia’s term ends in December of next year.
Valdivia is the first elected official to be censured by the San Bernardino City Council in two decades.
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