Supervisors put Nutting’s future in judge’s hands
By Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee
Amid a spectacle raw with anger and emotion, four El Dorado County supervisors voted Tuesday to ask a judge to decide whether their colleague, Ray Nutting, should be removed from office.
It was another searing chapter in the political saga of the embattled supervisor as fellow board members went into closed session without him to discuss whether to kick him out for his conviction on four misdemeanors last week.
But before they convened with the county attorney and outside legal counsel, they got an earful from Nutting’s wife, Jennifer, who took to a lectern to blast authorities who “maliciously prosecuted my husband.”
Nutting, 54, was acquitted of three felony malfeasance charges last week in connection with allegations that he failed to properly disclose more than $70,000 in state grant income for clearing brush on his family’s 340-acre ranch in Somerset.
However, jurors did find the four-term supervisor guilty of six misdemeanor government code violations.
And the circus continues…all clowns on stage…
Little Ray can’t stand up for himself. His loud mouth wifey has to wear the pants. She should be glad he wasn’t convicted of all the felonies and keep her flapping gums shut. Pathetic little man. Go away Ray…..and take her with.
Ducking this issue isn’t doing anyone any good. Where is an ounce of leadership in this county? He was convicted of crimes and should be removed by any legal means needed to accomplish the goal of ridding the county of crime and corruption. This now goes to an out of area judge who shouldn’t be shouldering this local issue of a convicted criminal serving on the Board who should be removed. This whole mess could have been avoided by an out of county trial which was mandatory and there should be no doubt the DA made a huge mistake thinking there were any local people in the Placerville area who were not constantly bombarded with the negative media spin that was used for a year to influence a local jury, and it looks to have worked well, as did presenting the jury with a choice of some minor charges to use to avoid the serious issues and crimes and it is a surprise he was convicted of anything. This was a farce and it is going to continue on now because there is no leadership on the Board who avoided the clear and only choice to remove Nutting.
It is quite obvious that Mr.Nutting, while popular in some circles, played (plays) fast and loose with his personal ranch management, and could have avoided a lot of heat and questions by full disclosure. I don’t think, based solely on all the errors and ommissions proven, that he is any longer qualified (or at the least not to be trusted) to function as a supervisor.
Is there any doubt that he plays fast and loose with county matters too? Just read the public record. Ray does not play well with others.
He has brass cojones, an ego big enough to fill the great central valley and is now simply fighting for his salary and the other perks he has set himself up with through his political position.
He got caught, convicted, he is very lucky he is not doing time. It is now appropriate for the supervisors, the judge or the voters to put him out to pasture.
Don’t be surprised, if he is unseated,and it isn’t done absolutely airtight, to see some multi million dollar lawsuit filed for damages.
Tyler, who is a Clerk for the Board (according to the article), should either be aware of what is legal (re contributing funds toward Nutting’s bail), or get advice from the Attorney who represents the Board she works for. DUH…. being a friend does not vacate her fiduciary responsibility as an employee of the County! Performance Review time…..
Who would replace Nutting on the board?