FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Another California High Speed Rail official is being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
On Monday, September 23, 2019, the FPPC notified State Assemblyman Jim Patterson that they will open an investigation to address his conflict of interest concerns.
Assemblyman Patterson had sent a letter to the FPPC dated September 4, 2019, asking the commission to launch an investigation into Rail Authority Board Member Ernesto Camacho.
In a statement sent Tuesday by his office, Assemblyman Patterson says Camacho’s Southern California based company, Pacifica Consulting, Inc. stands to benefit from his decisions on the board.
“It is becoming clear there is a group of High Speed Rail insiders – contractors, a board member, and consultants – who have access to billions of dollars of public money and are passing it around to each other,” said Assemblyman Patterson.
This is the second ongoing investigation requested by Assemblyman Patterson within the High Speed Rail Authority.
Roy Hill, the former Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the Rail Authority, is being looking into for his potential conflicting financial interests.
Patterson’s Office says Hill is under investigation for signing a $51-million change order to fund project change orders requested by Jacobs Engineering.
Documents uncovered show that Mr. Hill owns up to $100,000 of stock in Jacobs Engineering, according to a statement sent Tuesday by Assemblyman Patterson’s Office.
Hill has since been suspended.
Click to hear the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
