Union continues to fight against the $ 114 million agreement in Sonoma County, sending a payment complaint to the Guardian dog of California

The week after Rabbitt received the October donation from Wasem, the Board discussed the properties of Aviation and Brickway in a session that is not open to the public, according to the Board agenda. There were no reportable measures, according to the minutes of the meeting, but the Board “gave direction to the legal advisor and the staff.”

The Board discussed the properties again during another Closed session January 14.

The donation of October 16, 2024 from Wasem to Rabbitt, according to the representatives of the Union, should have disqualified Rabbitt from participating in any subsequent discussion of the Board on the properties, including those of closed doors.

Rabbitt argues that he not only did not know about Wasem’s connection with Selway Management, but also no decisions were made with respect to the $ 114 million agreement in a closed session.

“For the most part, very (few) decisions are made in a closed session on real estate matters,” Pittman echoes. “All what is doing is to give authority to real estate (equipment) to determine the terms and price.”

SEIU stands out to others

Seiu’s FPPC complaint extends beyond Rabbitt, Wasem and Selway Management.

The union appoints Family Farmers Alliance, a political action committee sponsored by the Sonoma County Agriculture Office, and the airport business center, which is also owned by Wasem and Coombs.

The complaint cites a donation of $ 5,500 that the airport business center made to the Alliance of Family Farmers, which reported a donation in the same amount in April 2024 to the state Senate campaign of Supervisor James Gore in the same period.

Gore has said he didn’t know how the PAC obtained his money.

In a text of February 7, Gore said he did not believe that the PAC donation violated the campaign financing law, but told his campaign treasurer to return the money “as a precaution.”

“There should be no doubt about the integrity of the vote on this proposal,” Gore said, referring to buying the three office buildings.

However, the union does not name Gore as a “defendant” in his complaint, saying that he could not find “remarkable evidence” that Gore violated any regulation.

Even so, “the sequence of transactions between the Airport Business Center, the Alliance of Family Farmers and the Supervisor Gore firmly suggest a forbidden allocation, violating the laws and regulations of California to avoid campaign laundering and the policy of ‘payments of ‘payments’, “said Seiu’s complaint.

Dayna Ghirardelli, executive director of the Sonoma County Agriculture Office, said in an email that the complaint “has no merit.”

“We hope it is fired,” Ghirardelli said.

Rabbitt told the Democrat of the press that he has “acted properly under” the California campaign financing law.

He also said that the “advisory letter” that the county seeks in the FPPC, if it materializes, would end the controversy that Seiu has lit and cleared the way for the County supervisors, including him, vote for purchases.

The dispute deepens

The initial complaint of the union and the consequent consequences have underlined the sour relationship between Rabbitt, the main member of the Board and local leaders 1021.

During the Supervisors Board February 11 meeting, Ryan Williams, a political organizer of Seiu, reiterated the belief of the union that Rabbitt should not be allowed to vote on the proposal and ask the county to seek a “transparent” process that “prioritizes the needs of the public and the community and the community and the employees”.

Rabbitt, responding to Williams del Dais, accused him of continuing to “maligning me” and pointing out the application of the FPPC advice letter.

“We will take care of this once and for all and move forward with the majority address of the Board to provide appropriate work spaces for our employees, even if your greatest union does not care,” Rabbitt said.

Local 1021, which represents more than 2,000 of the 5,000 county employees, will begin contractual negotiations with the county this year. His contract will expire in February 2026.

If supervisors vote to advance with the agreement on March 25, it would not be the final step. The county staff would then issue “a notice of intention to buy” the three buildings and carry out “due diligence” evaluations of the Brickway offices.

You can communicate with the writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or [email protected]. On Twitter @Murphreports.