It is a good thing that a citizens group is drafted to investigate elected officials, departments, special districts, etc in Calaveras County.
However, after interviewing many who have served in the past 20 years, it seems to be fraught with partisan politics, pay-backs, and general corruption.
One person told us of the year after Dennis Downum, Republican was elected Sheriff. Those who were for the other candidate, we were told by sources, intentionally came after him to try and bring him down. The Grand Jury was used to accuse the new Sheriff of all kinds of ridiculous things.
Then another told us of the year that the clear-cutting occurred in Ebbetts Pass. After the Grand Jury voted to investigate the misfeasance of the Supervisor over who's district was allowing the clear-cut, an employee of the forest service told a Grand Jury member that he had told that Supervisor many months before that SPI was going to apply to clear-cut.
That Supervisor, it was revealed had told one member of the Grand Jury long before they were a Grand Jury member, that SPI could stop the large donation to her favorite charity if people complained too loudly. When it was sent to a committee, it was squashed by her supporter, who was one of the main members and later became foreman of the Grand Jury.
In the past two or three years, another example of the partisan politics came into play. We saw a letter and evidence of wrongdoing involving two Special Districts in Calaveras County. The Grand Jury refused to investigate. Would you like to know who the two people were who got it squashed? Both were elected officials at the time, and personal friends of one person involved in the allegations.
Therefore, most people have lost faith in the Grand Jury process, as some even feel that complaining to the Judge who presides over the Grand Jury is a waste of time, and have ended up resigning in disgust over the corruption within.
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