Will Santa Ana Officials Admonish Councilman Johnathan Hernandez Ahead of Election?

Santa Ana officials are slated to sermon what actions to instrumentality against Councilman Johnathan Hernandez aft metropolis hired investigators sustained allegations that the councilman violated the metropolis charter and codification of morals and interfered with the readying of assemblage events.

At a special 5:30 p.m. gathering Monday, metropolis assembly members are expected to sermon “potential remedies” for investigators’ findings against Hernandez – little than a week earlier the November election.

In a abstracted probe, investigators seemingly could not prolong allegations that Mayor Valerie Amezcua violated the metropolis charter oregon codification of morals oregon harassed erstwhile City Manager Kristine Ridge.

The findings travel astir a twelvemonth aft a bulk of officials, including Amezcua, voted to wage Ridge implicit $600,000 to settee her assertion alleging a unit run by elected officials connected behalf of the constabulary national to get her to boost erstwhile national president Gerry Serrano’s wage and pension. 

All earlier the probe into the allegations launched.

[Read: What Are Santa Ana Officials Hiding successful a Claim Alleging The Police Union Runs City Hall?]

City officials and unit person not publically released the investigators’ reports since City Attorney Sonia Carvalho announced the findings astatine a nationalist gathering earlier this month.

[Read: What Did Privately Hired Investigators Find successful Two Ethics Code Probes astatine Santa Ana City Hall?]

But that could change.

Hernandez, who is up for reelection, said successful a Friday telephone interrogation that the reports connected some investigations volition beryllium released Monday, adding that the peculiar gathering is coming astatine the petition of Amezcua.

He besides said the gathering is politically charged.

“I judge that the politician is going to dainty Monday’s assembly gathering successful our metropolis assembly chambers arsenic a level for the constabulary union’s bidding,” Hernandez said. “It is 100% rooted successful politics.”

Amezcua, whose mayoral campaigns person received important fiscal backing from the constabulary union, did not respond to requests for remark Friday.

The Santa Ana City Hall connected May 18, 2020. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

At the Oct. 15 assembly meeting, Carvalho said the investigators found enough evidence to enactment allegations that Hernandez interfered with metropolis staff’s enactment to program the Juneteenth celebration, the Chicano Heritage Festival and Indigenous People’s day.

Hernandez has said members of the Black, Chicano and Indigenous communities asked him to beryllium successful connected meetings with unit astir the taste events due to the fact that of concerns of racism from staff.

“The crushed wherefore I americium being publically reprimanded is due to the fact that I was overly progressive successful advocating for my constituents,” helium said. 

“There was nary wrongdoing related to immoderate money. There’s nary transgression culpability. But they tin censure me, which would beryllium a reprimand. I person already accepted accountability.” 

Another allegation that Hernandez tried to solicit donations for assemblage celebrations was not sustained by investigators, according to Carvalho.

Councilman David Penaloza told the Voice of OC earlier this period that violating the city’s charter is simply a misdemeanor and connected Oct. 16 helium sent a missive to Carvalho requesting the metropolis lawyer prosecute Hernandez and guardant the investigation’s findings to the territory attorney.

“As elected representatives, we indispensable clasp ourselves to a higher modular and clasp ourselves accountable. We besides person a ineligible work and work to abide by our metropolis charter and each of its laws recovered within,” helium wrote successful the letter posted connected his Facebook.

“I fearfulness that if we take to disregard the unfortunate results of this investigation, we volition acceptable a unsafe precedent for aboriginal years to come.”

When reached connected Friday for remark done text, Penaloza – who has received fiscal contributions from the constabulary national successful enactment of his erstwhile metropolis assembly run – pointed to the missive helium posted connected his Facebook.

The Santa Ana City Hall connected May 18, 2020. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

“There’s thing grounded oregon substantiated astir his stance. His stance astir seeing maine criminalized is rooted successful however helium sees Chicano, Black and Indigenous people,” Hernandez said astir Penaloza’s request.

“This is idiosyncratic who didn’t person those comments erstwhile the metropolis paid retired a $600,000 colony related to a assertion wherever his POA endorsed workfellow Valerie Amezcua was named implicit 10 antithetic times.”

Councilman Ben Vazquez, who is moving against Amezcua for Mayor, said successful a Friday telephone interrogation that Hernandez did thing amerciable and was defending assemblage members.

“I americium much disquieted astir the findings for Amezcua and haven’t I haven’t work the study yet, but it appears that Kristine Ridge has not travel guardant to talk to the investigators, truthful she has not been fto disconnected arsenic not being blameworthy oregon exonerated successful immoderate way,” helium said.

Vazquez added that Hernandez should apologize to metropolis staff.

Carvalho did not respond to emailed questions Friday astir what actions could assembly members instrumentality against Hernandez oregon if the metropolis would publically merchandise the findings. 

Council members Thai Viet Phan, Phil Bacerra – who has received fiscal contributions from the constabulary national successful enactment of his erstwhile metropolis assembly run – and Jessie Lopez did not respond to requests for remark Friday.

What Else Did City-Hired Investigators Find?

Santa Ana City Hall connected April 6, 2024. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

Hernandez isn’t the lone 1 connected the dais who was investigated for allegedly violating metropolis codes.

Investigators besides launched a probe into Amezcua, who is up for reelection, aft erstwhile City Manager Kristine Ridge accused the politician of creating a hostile workplace for and interfering successful her work. 

According to Carvalho, the investigators hired by the metropolis recovered that the grounds did not enactment allegations that Amezcua violated the metropolis charter, the city’s codification of morals and harassed Ridge.

Amezcua has not responded to immoderate requests for remark by the Voice of OC connected the investigations.

In the redacted assertion that metropolis officials kept hidden for months, Ridge besides alleges Amezcua asked her to agendize a closed doorway treatment that Ridge said would person violated the Brown Act – the State’s main unfastened gathering law.

Due to the redactions successful the claim, it is unclear what that petition was.

Hernandez antecedently told the Voice of OC those redactions person to bash with a ailment helium filed successful 2023 accusing Amezcua of violating the Brown Act amid efforts to occurrence Ridge and erstwhile Police Chief David Valentin.

The Orange County District Attorney recovered that determination was insufficient grounds to substantiate allegations that Amezcua violated the Brown Act, but Hernandez said their bureau ne'er interviewed him astir his complaint.

Meanwhile, Ridge, reached retired to done her lawyer listed connected the claim, did not respond to a petition for remark Friday including whether she participated successful the investigations oregon not.

Ridge’s departure from metropolis hallway past twelvemonth came weeks aft Valentin announced his retirement, pointing to “corrupt and compromised politicians.”

Does the Police Union Have a Say Over Who Runs City Hall?

Police guarding Santa Ana City Hall connected June 18, 2020. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

It’s not the archetypal clip a apical metropolis enforcement has raised concerns astir elected officials going to bat for the constabulary national – a radical that routinely spends large connected section elections.

In 2017, erstwhile Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas filed a suit against the city, claiming helium was forced to resign arsenic portion of an effort by erstwhile Mayor Miguel Pulido and erstwhile Police Union President Serrano to propulsion him out.

[Read: Former Santa Ana Police Chief Sues, Claiming He Was Pushed Out By Mayor and Police Union]

In the filings, Rojas alleges Serrano met with metropolis assembly members and candidates earlier the November 2016 predetermination and offered them governmental enactment successful speech for signing an statement that they would terminate then-city manager David Cavazos and Rojas.

Both Serrano and Pulido astatine the clip denied the allegations.

In January 2017, Cavazos was ousted on a 4-2 ballot of the City Council. Rojas resigned successful April of that year.

Valentin replaced Rojas arsenic the imperishable constabulary chief successful 2018. Ridge was hired successful 2019.

Meanwhile, the constabulary national – nether caller enactment – is spending large connected section elections collectively spending astir $191,000 betwixt Mayor Amezcua’s reelection campaign, City Commissioner Mario Alvarado’s Ward 5 run and lawyer Jeffery Katz’s Ward 3 run arsenic of Friday morning.

[Read: Police Union, Real Estate Interests Spend Big successful Santa Ana Elections]

According to the latest run disclosures arsenic of Friday morning, the national has spent astir $89,000 successful enactment of Amezcua’s run done things similar mailers.

The constabulary national has besides spent adjacent to $10,000 against Hernandez arsenic of Oct. 25.

Hosam Elattar is simply a Voice of OC newsman and corps subordinate with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him astatine [email protected] oregon connected Twitter @ElattarHosam.

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