El Dorado’s Pierson, Nutting escalate distrust
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson and county Supervisor Ray Nutting have long been adversaries.
By Kathryn Reed
Two El Dorado County elected officials are accusing the other of improprieties in their respective offices.
District Attorney Vern Pierson says Supervisor Ray Nutting may have more conflicts of interest than what a grand jury indicted him on. Nutting believes Pierson is on a witch-hunt and is wasting taxpayer money in a vendetta that goes back several years between the two men.
Pierson sent a letter July 29 to board Chairman Ron Briggs that was copied to all supervisors except Nutting. It was sent to Nutting’s attorney. It also went to county counsel and the chief administrative officer.
In it Pierson says, “Last week our office discovered that District II Supervisor Nutting applied to be certified for Public Housing (Section 8), Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) as a landlord for property he owns in El Dorado County. On August 31, 2010, county staff correctly rejected his request due to a statutory conflict of interest: As a supervisor he also sits on the Public Housing Authority, and the federal regulations state that no member of the PHA is eligible to receive Section 8 funds as a landlord. (24 CFR 982.161).”
Nutting told Lake Tahoe News he is being criticized for looking into whether he could have a tenant at his Grizzly Flats rental who qualified for Section 8 housing. He said he was told he couldn’t have such a renter because of being on the Board of Supervisors and added that he has never had such a tenant.
“His actions speak for himself. He blurts things out and doesn’t think about what he is doing,” Nutting said of Pierson. “He is criticizing me for looking into it.”
Nutting further told Lake Tahoe News, “Again, he is abusing his office. I did all the right things. He blatantly wastes taxpayer money. It is unbelievable.”
Pierson was not available for comment. However, a reason for writing the letter is contained in the document: “I am expressing my concern so that you can take the actions you consider appropriate. … Given the pending charges and this new information and Supervisor Nutting’s seemingly cavalier attitude toward conflicts of interest, I felt an obligation to advise the board.”
The letter goes on to say, “Further, records indicate, unlike an ordinary property owner, Supervisor Nutting used his position to appeal this denial to the then Director of H.H.S. who serves at the will of this board. Supervisor Nutting then, on county official letterhead, apparently desperate to secure this rental income ($1,400 for a detached residence in Grizzly Flats), sent a letter to the regional H.U.D. Director seeking a waiver of an obvious conflict of interest. It appears this waiver was never granted under federal law; even if it had been, there is no such waiver of Section 1090 violations under state law.”
After seeing Pierson’s letter, Nutting emailed Lake Tahoe News, “I read the letter. I should be praised for asking the question for the single mom with children. I received the answer and that is the way it should work. I did everything right!”
Nutting is being prosecuted by Pierson as well as the state Attorney General’s Office.
Oh yeah Ray, you should be praised for trying to get the government to subsidize your altruism. Poor lady shouldn’t have to pay you $1400 a month for your rental property when a guy who knows how to get money from the government like you is around. You are a real work of art.
Go get this conniving POS Vern. He is the epitome of what’s wrong with local elected officials.
Not taking sides because they both have issues imho. But this is the same Vern that dragged Angela Swanson through the mud and then never filed a criminal complaint against her.
I don’t agree with Ray’s actions. His allegations are accurate. I know through first hand experience. Vern uses his offices authority and power to carry out his own will. I have been on the receiving end of this corrupted behavior. Was in my place of business for 3 yrs. in compliance with the law Vern even stated so after an investigation turned up nothing. It wasnt until I got on his bad side that I was arrested, threatened with financial ruin and the loss of my children if I tried to go to trial. To the conviction. Only to find out afterwards all the circumstances surrounding my case where based on personal vendettas. Even after an extensive internal investigation by WENET on SLEDNET turned up numerous discrepancies in my case and others Vern refuses to make things right. I must spend thousands on an attorney to exonerate myself from a felony that never should have been. Because he is the root of the problem thats being investigated. Hopefully this time he caught a bigger fish than he can reel in and he gets pulled overboard. This town needs to be cleaned up, and it need to start at the top. Get rid of all theses crooked people in offices of authority and find some people with integrity.
If Nutting is guilty then there must be another person on the grant committee who was influenced. Why is there no charge or accusation against that person?
Ray and WhodatJohn are attempting to rewrite the lyrics to “Let’s Turkey Trot” However it sure reads like Little Eva!
Gobble-Gobble -diddle-ip–Shoo Shoo Gobble Gobble
But if you really want to get out of a rut Do some turkey trottin and all your cares will be forgotten yeah!
WhodatJohn Your writings read like you are a candidate for an investigation by the ACLU. Do it or give it up.
What started the bad feelings between the men years ago? Also if bad feelings do exist how come the case wasn’t turned over to a neutral ADA?
Alex. Good advice. I seriously feel dumb for not considering that avenue before. Contacted an ACLU attorney this afternoon. Thanx.
Whodatjohn
I trust the readers will not relate your problem to the many many problems of Ray Nutting.
Ray knows how to play the game of politics having served with Board Master’s Mark Rev13:3 and John Rev21:23
Pun Intended
Your unfortunately probably very accurate
Vern Pierson is a complete ____ and should be arrested by the Sheriff and hung in downtown “hangtown” Let’s get rid of this piece of work and his “assistant” what a disgrace.
Nut-Job is his own worst enemy and people are not being fooled by his actions anymore. His illegal fires, after taking public grant money and being paid to prevent them, are what finally made people realize there was a problem with reckless lawless actions and was something to stop and look into before one of his fires really took off. Since then it has been one exposure of illegal actions after another, people should read the P-ville Mtn Dem for the latest. He has a circle of campaign operatives, several who have already been arrested and jailed for various crimes like fraud and they are putting out fake press releases and requests for legal fee money for Nut-Job’s defense. The attack on the DA for this case is a false charge, he is doing something that was years overdue. It is being reported in the Mtn Dem that Nut-Job may be tied to a 60 million federal tax fraud case which is being investigated now. The fact is he has planned to delay his trial instead of demanding a quick jury trial, in the meantime, it looks like there are new investigations and bigger things ahead.