Donation to education group tainted by link to South Lake Tahoe bribery, drug case
Updated: Sept. 6, 2012, 9:30pm.
By Kathryn Reed
The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation appears to be helping South Lake Tahoe City Councilwoman Angela Swanson cover up a donation from Gino DiMatteo.
Nancy Rollston, president of the nonprofit foundation, Swanson and DiMatteo met this summer at least once to discuss a donation by DiMatteo to the group.
At that time DiMatteo operated the medical marijuana collective called City of Angels II. It was also known that the U.S. Attorney General’s Office was cracking down on collectives in California. Medical marijuana dispensaries at various times have been a closed session item on City Council agendas, so Swanson has privileged information and more knowledge than the average citizen in South Lake Tahoe about that segment of the community.
It was well-known that the dispensaries were all under the radar of law enforcement for potential illegal drug activity. Why an education group that helps students in Lake Tahoe Unified School District, that has an FBI agent on its board, would accept his money is not known because their president is withholding information from the media.
And according to Chris Campion, the FBI agent who is on the board and is past president of the foundation, Rollston is the spokesperson for the group.
“The bottom line right now is we are not going to be talking about it. If that changes in the next few days, we will get back in contact with you,” Campion told Lake Tahoe News.
DiMatteo is now behind bars in Placerville on charges of bribing a public official (Swanson), possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a controlled substance and possession of ammunition.
A bail hearing the afternoon of Sept. 7 could determine if he will be released as his case goes through the court system.
Swanson has not been charged with any crime, but her name has been used in documents by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the lead agency in the case, stating she is the one who DiMatteo allegedly bribed.
Lake Tahoe News has been told by sources that Swanson had secured one or two $5,000 donations from DiMatteo for the Ed Foundation. Swanson is on the Ed Foundation’s board.
KRNV-TV in Reno reports having a letter from Ed Foundation President Rollston thanking DiMatteo for his donation of $1,128, with a handwritten addendum saying, “Your donation was extremely generous and is greatly appreciated.”
Other officers on the Ed Foundation board are Pradip Patel-vice president, Jerry Bindel-treasurer (he could not be reached at his office after 5pm Sept. 6), Debra McHugh-secretary, and Campion-past president.
The other board members are Tyler Cannon, Greg Bergner, Paige Cefalu, Jana DiGrande, Bill Kingman, Jen David, Lee Anne Stigers-Genasci, Christina Proctor, Joe Marzocco, Brain Hogan, Coleen Shade, Diane Rosner, Julie Lucksinger, Cookie Rork, and Tom Davis.
Campion said he would not comment on whether the donation from DiMatteo raised red flags because who made the donation or how it was handled.
City Councilman Davis said, “I have not been active in the Ed Foundation for some time. I have no knowledge of [any] donation whatsoever. Period.”
Rollston said, “I have no response or comment to any of your questions.”
There is question whether information about the foundation’s donors are public record.
Swanson said at this time she is not commenting further about anything related to the case.
Even if all of the money DiMatteo gave the Ed Foundation ended up in the appropriate bank account, Swanson had a duty to report the transaction to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. She also had an obligation to report it to the City Council to disclose an entity she was involved with was benefiting from someone who the city was doing business with. Neither of these things occurred.
It is not known if she consulted City Attorney Patrick Enright.
Lake Tahoe News asked Enright if he gave Swanson any advice about anything involving the case. He said, “I can’t comment at this time while the investigation is going on.”
However, Lake Tahoe News has learned Enright is the one who recommended Swanson hire the attorney she has retained out of Sacramento.
If you’re going to accuse someone of breaking the law, you should at least bother to explain why. What public records law was Rollston violating by not providing you with information? What information were you requesting?
“A letter from Ed Foundation President Rollston thanking DiMatteo for his donation of $1,128, with a handwritten addendum saying, “Your donation was extremely generous and is greatly appreciated.”
Everyone take note, give to charity and you might be next on the chopping block!
At least Gino Gives back to the community, which is a lot more than most these city thugs can say!
“It was well-known that the dispensaries were all under the radar of law enforcement for potential illegal drug activity. Why an education group that helps students in Lake Tahoe Unified School District, that has an FBI agent on its board, would accept his money is not known because their president is withholding information from the media.”
You call this news-journalism? Maybe, Kay, you should put this into the opinion section of your news outlet…or more accurately, your blog.
BTW…you write:
“She also had an obligation to report it to the City Council to disclose an entity she was involved with was benefiting from someone who the city was doing business with.”
What obligation are you referring to? Doing business with the city? Do you mean doing business in the city?
I realize that this is probably the biggest news story you’ve covered, but Kay, get a grip and read a book on journalistic integrity.
The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation appears to be helping South Lake Tahoe City Councilwoman Angela Swanson cover up a donation from Gino DiMatteo.
Simple enough…
A man tries his best to help his community, and the people who “run” the community seem to have a problem with it. So they accept his money and then slander his name publicly. Good job guys, keep up the great political work… one day you might make it to the big leagues and become a world famous POS.
Swanson, take a vacation, permanently.
Kay…If I wanted to see a bunch of drama I would be watching Jersey Shore. Cause that’s all you seem to care about. hey, I heard there is an opening on the lying game….
I am shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that DiMatten and Swanson were caught red handed donating money to an education group. Apparently, no good deed goes unpunished in El Dorado County where investigators opened an investigation, using this scandalous donation as probable cause.
Swnanson left the school board in a ball of flames, history is repeating itself. I have to ask why she would be so interested in public service? What does she have to offer?
Tahoe Skeptic, this IS Kae’s blog! That’s the problem with this website… There’s NO distinction between actual facts and Kae’s own opinions, agendas, and grudges. Sometimes she writes “news” pieces, sometimes she writes “opinion” pieces, but most of the time the articles are just a mishmash of her own agendas tied along with some very poorly investigated “facts.”
This article is probably the worst example of the lack of journalistic integrity on this website, but it’s certainly not the first. Too bad, because this Basin is DESPERATE for a quality, objective news source.
We should not shoot the messenger who brings us this incomplete information. The story is evolving for Kay and for all of us. There is no one to blame, so stop.
I am still supporting Angela. Just because someone doesn’t want to reply to a question doesn’t mean an admission of guilt. People need to watch what they say as things can be taken out of context so I know I’d consult a lawyer before saying anything.
I am on the board of 2 non-profits …we have put many a hand written note on Thank-You notes as people can chose many different ways in which to donate. Don’t you look at handwritten notes differently than typed? Our donors do.
As a member of the board Angela or any other board member does not personally benefit from any donation. Many board members don’t know each and every donation, they just see the entry on the budget.
People are innocent until proven guilty.
Some of you love to bash LTN.net for being biased AND for restricting free speech, yet I still see the posts made that intimate these points. By virtue of your posts being left up, that argument holds very little water! And personal attacks on others don’t belong here OR any other public forum, regardless of the fact that SOME of you consider those attacks to be your right to free speech. THOSE THAT LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES OUGHT NOT THROW ROCKS!
Unfortunately, real life imitates Jersey Shore a lot more closely than Science Friday. Messy, messy.
Agree with Headroom, Kae gets news out to us as quickly as she can, even though it may be in bits. The alternative is waiting weeks, or even months before all information is played out, and can be sorted. I prefer to get any of it, as soon as I can, and using my own thinking cap to process it ;)
The bottom line here is that Swanson is either ignorant or just plain stupid for being involved with Gino in the first place – regardless of the circumstances.
I thank Kae for being involved and getting the stories out. I stop by this website a few times a day to see what’s happening and going on. It must be VERY hard in our small community to get to the source, especially if the people shut down and don’t talk.
KAE at her best when investigating and reporting. Like the good old days as Editor of the Tahoe Trib, investigating and exposing the good old boy’s and the Lady Mayor.
Big Picture, Careaboutcomm, 30yearlocal, I think you’re totally missing the point. The criticism of this website is not because of the nature of the facts, but the way in which Kae presents them.
And, fortunately, Kae has just proven our point for us! Notice the edit in this article from earlier this morning! This morning the article said that Rollston was BREAKING THE LAW by not giving Kae some unknown information. NOW, the article reads, “There is question whether information about the foundation’s donors are public record.” Funny how that mysteriously changed! Notice that there is no “Correction” section to make people aware that the original statement was utterly without foundation and simply a matter of Kae slandering a potentially innocent person. What are the laws governing donations to non-profit foundations? Has she bothered to look? According to Kae (at least earlier this morning), it’s now ILLEGAL for someone to not immediately provide her with whatever information she’s seeking, regardless of whether it’s public. Apparently she’s now acting as the judge, jury, and executioner in South Lake. Scary stuff for those of us trying to make a living here.
Like I said, absolutely no journalistic integrity on this site.
This type of stories comments should only have your REAL NAME So give it up, you all!!!!! so we all can see the sunshine.
What most seem to miss is that is an ongoing investigation by the DA’s office. They don’t release all information until it goes to court and gets adjudicated because it can risk the case. But they are stuck having to release some information since it seems that all involved are higher profile people in our little community. It’s called be patient. With our internet fed world, everyone wants everything right now. Kae is just reporting what she is told by folks who are involved. And those folks are probably told by the investigators what they can and can’t say to the public media. I don’t see any personal attacks in any of her reports on this case other than just facts. She talks to person A, and person A said this or didn’t say that ect. You can’t make facts any less ugly. It’s a free market. If you don’t like her reporting , then don’t read it because CNN.com/ foxnews.com or sacbee.com are not bias news sites at all.
Use your real names and please be civil. I appreciate the news i get here and the blogs are a way to vent. Just try to do it with class and maybe use spell check. Easy to snipe at people when hiding behind an alias.
Innocent until proven guilty in Angela Swansen case.
Gino did not want pot legalized in 2010. To me he is a Hippocratic and can leave anytime. Him and other shops had a great platform to help push legalization. They were just afraid of competition and have shown true colors.
However sounds like our city council and police are being vindictive and just as hypocritical . It is a small town it it not what you know, it’s who you know.
Arresting his wife over a three day weekend was a cheap shot. And to not file charges. Bad cop, no donut!
By the way, heroin use in south shore is way up. Come on DA’S office and police…… get the powder off the streets. Crime is up in our neighborhood, crime mapping would be nice.
And thanks Kae for what information we do get from you, without it, news would be even more elusive.
WHEN ANYTHING GOES DOWN IN THIS TOWN WE ALL DIAL UP KAY,S BLOG BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER SOURCE WITH ANY INTEGRITY IN THIS ONE HORSE TOWN. BUT I AM SURE SHE CAN TAKE THE HEAT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK KAY
I appreciate having Lake Tahoe News provide news as the Tribune has long since left the Hill. That said, from what I read Nancy Rolston is on record for having received a donation sent a letter of thanks… Having an FBI person on staff simply means Mr. Campion has chosen to be active in his community. Unless the FBI has an as yet unknown investigation of the Education Foundation going on you are implying more than there really is here. Your article reads much more into this story without any evidence to back up the implications.
Hopefully Angela Swanson will be exonorated as she has done good work in support of our town. Sources suggesting a donation does not mean that the final donation made was what others may have thought. This could easily be a matter of someone hearing one number for a donation when a lessor amount actually made it to the table.
To suggest that someone not wanting to talk to a reporter suggests guilt is wrong on many levels. The first thing any lawyer is going to tell someone guilty or otherwise is to not speak. To not talk to the press is probably the best thing these folks could do for themselves, their organizations and this community. Let the courts figure this out and stop finger pointing without all the information.
For my part, I am happy we have people like Nancy Rolston, Chris Campion and all those who are a part of the Education Foundation working in our community. Thanks for supporting our schools.
Local Yokle
Wow! With fair and balanced, fact-based articles like this, Kathryn Reed could get a good job at Faux News! Talk about stretching the facts and adding your own spin!!
He is a drug dealer folks. Why is anyone defending the fact a drug dealer gave money to a charity? I actually heard a woman at Starbucks remarking that “yep, I’m a legal drug dealer”. and then chuckled about it. It’s nauseating. I know, now I’ll get a comment saying that maybe I should smoke a joint.