Will Gibson’s emails to his lover surface before election?

April 23, 2014
Bruce Gibson

Bruce Gibson

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

For more than 17 months, San Luis Obispo County officials have claimed they are attempting to comply with the California Public Records Act, yet they have failed to provide emails that could tarnish the reputation of a supervisor currently running for reelection, as required by law.

The California Public Records Act is a powerful tool used by reporters and the public to uncover governmental shortcomings and illegal activities. The act was enacted more than 40 years ago after it was determined that timely public access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business is a fundamental and necessary right.

Nevertheless, nearly a year and a half has passed since San Luis Obispo County received a public records request for emails exchanged between Supervisor Bruce Gibson and his romantically entangled legislative assistant Cherie McKee, who previously went by the name of Cherie Aispuro. The county promised Los Osos resident Julie Tacker, the maker of the request, six years of Gibson-McKee emails but has only delivered two and a half years of messages, Tacker stated in a grand jury complaint she filed Monday.

In November 2012, Gibson revealed that he had been engaged in a long term affair with McKee. The second-term supervisor announced that McKee had won his heart and that he was planning on divorcing his wife of multiple decades.

Three days after learning of the affair, County Counsel Rita Neal and County Administrator Dan Buckshi cleared Gibson of any wrongdoing. Neal and Buckshi said they reviewed approximately 6,000 emails between Gibson and McKee and determined the pair had not used any county resources  and had not violated any county policies during the course of their affair.

On November 29, 2012, Tacker submitted a request under the California Public Records Act for the emails Neal had already reviewed, as well as other documents she examined, such as travel reimbursements. Neal responded saying it would require considerable time to review and redact the emails, but that she estimated it would take less than a month to deliver them.

Neal has since sent Tacker several batches of emails but has not released any since November 2013. The majority of the emails remain outstanding, Tacker said.

Gibson, who is nearing the end of his second term, is currently running for reelection. The primary election, which will likely determine whether or not he keeps his seat, takes place on June 3, and absentee voters will receive ballots in two weeks.

“The evidence, if provided at this time, would be detrimental to the supervisor’s bid for reelection,” Tacker wrote in her complaint to the San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury. “The delay and over-redacting surrounding this particular request is not because it is voluminous as much as it is because it reveals that indeed county resources were used in the supervisor’s affair.”

Gibson said in his Tribune announcement of the affair that he and McKee always gave 110 percent to the job. But, one string of messages released by Neal brought into question whether Gibson and McKee were always hard at work.

On April 12, 2012, Gibson and McKee agreed by email to postpone a conversation with a constituent until the next day.

“OK, I don’t have the energy to deal with this today anyway,” Gibson wrote in an afternoon email.

McKee responded to him that day at 4:01 p.m.

“I just woke up,” she wrote. “You wiped me out.”

“Sorry to be so demanding! :)” Gibson replied.

This year, Tacker has given Neal three reminders of the outstanding record request, none of which received responses, Tacker wrote in her complaint.

In a prior reply to Tacker, Neal said she managed to review the thousands of documents in just a matter of a few days because, as the county attorney, she could view parts of documents exempt from public disclosure. She later said during a board meeting that complying with the request was taking hundreds of hours of staff time and costing the county thousands of dollars.

Neal did not respond to a CalCoastNews email asking why she has not released the emails and whether or not it has anything to do with the upcoming election.

Tacker copied the grand jury complaint to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office and would like for a member of the agency to instruct Neal to comply with the public records act, she said.

It is unlikely the grand jury would take any action on the matter prior to the June 3 election. Still, if the body chooses to investigate the matter, there exists the possibility of the grand jury finding wrongdoing beyond failure to comply with the records act.

If the grand jury were to find criminal conduct on the part of Gibson or other county officials, it could call for prosecution.

“Who knows what’s in there?” Tacker said. “There could be criminal implications on more than just the public record act.”


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I’m wondering if the same people defending ex-Mrs. Gibson are the same ones that attacked her when she was Bruce’s wife. You know who you are.!! A lawsuit was filed against her professional firm, who did that? There is plenty of blame to go around!


Typical, ignore one persons faults by trying to point out someone elses. It still doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Gibson choose to tie his private life to his political life and now you seem to wnan to seperate them, too late, Mr. Gibson made his choice long ago.


what are you talking about?


Fishing Village….ask the Trib….LOL!


I do not respect people who come to the BOS meetings to spew out their ugliness against individual board members (against the rules of the meeting, fairness and without any regard for people at home watching), You don’t care what you say. That is not okay! We fortunately can record the meetings and fast forward the ugly remarks. Freedom of speech dose not guarantee spewing out ugliness against others! You just come for the exposure and to make yourselves seem important. I feel sorry for you. If you have important information regarding County business then fine, speak out. But, otherwise write down your opinions and send them by post or email. Give us a break at home.


In fact, freedom of speech DOES GUARANTEE just what it says.


“Thus, under the California Constitution, District’s Board may not censor speech by

prohibiting citizens from speaking, even if their speech is, or may be, defamatory.” (Baca v. Moreno Valley Unified School District, 936 F.Supp. 719 (1996).)


“The court’s conclusion therefore closes the possibility left open by the California Attorney General that a legislative body might be able to prohibit remarks ‘which it believes to be slanderous or which might invade an individual’s personal privacy.'” (Office of the California Attorney General, The Brown Act: Open Meetings for Local Legislative Bodies 19 (1994).)


Even if defamatory speech could be prohibited, it would be illegal for the Board Chair to censor such speech as such censorship could only take place “without regard for such niceties as whether the statement, though critical, is true, or whether, though false, is privileged, or whether, though couched as fact (e.g., “X is a racist”), is legally an expression of opinion rather than a statement of fact and hence not actionable as slander.

This is the very evil the rule against censorship and prior restraint of speech seeks to

prevent
.” Dailey v. Superior Court, 112 Cal. 94, 98.) Article I, section 2, subdivision (a) of the California Constitution forbids prior restraint or censorship, even by judges, because this “‘subject[s] all freedom of sentiment to the prejudices of one man, and make[s] him the arbitrary and infallible judge of all controverted points in learning, religion, and government.'”).


The very purpose of the First Amendment is to protect offensive speech!


In Rodriguez v. Maricopa County Community College District, 605 F.3d 703 (9th Cir. 2010), the Court wrote:


“The Constitution embraces such a heated exchange of views, even (perhaps especially) when they concern sensitive topics like race, where the risk of conflict and insult is high. Without the right to stand against society’s most strongly-held convictions, the marketplace of ideas would decline into a boutique of the banal, as the urge to censor is greatest where debate is most disquieting and orthodoxy most entrenched.


The right to provoke, offend and shock lies at the core of the First Amendment.”


Further still:


“…listeners who are offended by the ideas being discussed certainly are not entitled to shut down an entire forum simply because they object to what some people are saying. Such a rule would contravene the First Amendment’s hostility towards laws that “confer broad powers of censorship, in the form of a ‘heckler’s veto,’ upon any opponent of” certain points of view. Because some people take umbrage at a great many ideas, very soon no one would be able to say much of anything at all.”


But…but, those are your brothers in arms from Los Osos. How could you possibly NOT go along with their “ugliness”?


Mr. Gibson choose to include his personal life as part his performance of his job so it should be used as a determining factor. There were many differences to the South Carolina situation, one being Mr. Sanford’s mistress did not work for him and did not receive favoritism when it came to the job shuffle. These items plus many more were of Mr. Gibson’s choice and as such are a factor, and as much as many try to deny it, just saying it doesn’t matter doesn’t make it true.


he did not. Politicians are under a microscope from day one. They live their lives just like the rest of us. What happens along the way (no one wants things to change), is not our business. They don’t need to do anything except do a good job at their post. YOU should all pay more attention to our your own lives and stay out of theirs!


Guess we can agree to disagree. He did bring it into the office, instead of choosing to remove the office from it. Hopefully the voters will get out and vote and remove his type of politics from the BOS.


It never ceases to amaze me when people think lack of character is in a vacuum. If you betray the person who loves and trusts you the most by lying and sneaking around, who won’t you betray?


Clinton turned the tide that lying, character and accountability to your decision making is nobody’s business and no longer a standard by which to judge an individuals character. Wow. That baffles me.


It also amazes me that anyone would defend any politician, as if they are righteous. Please. They should all be tarred and feathered from Obama right down to Gibson.


win the election feel the love!


I will choose whether or not to vote for Mr. Gibson based on his performance and voting record, NOT his love life. And I am certainly willing to forgive him for making a mistake (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone).


Much like the voters in South Carolina did, after Governor Mark Sanford fessed up about his affair and made his amends to the state and his constituents.


He admitted to the affair in 2009. He and his wife divorced in 2010.


That same year the libertarian Cato Institute ranked Sanford as THE best governor in America in their 2010 fiscal policy report card, describing him as “a staunch supporter of spending restraint and pro-growth tax reforms”…this despite his personal issues.


He now is their US Congressman for the 1st district of South Carolina.


That would be the Koch Bros. syndicate funded Cato institute! amirite? (btw I believe in complete separation of reproductive apparatu$ and $tate) thats exactly what ‘the deep state’ is(partly) about


miles archer,


Since you were using the ol’ “cast the first stone” adage, you’re obviously a Christian, therefore, how dare you act in the manner shown?! Where are your Christian principles?! Forgiving Mr. Gibson is a slap in the face to our Hebrew God and your faith!


“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)


“And the man that committeth adultery with another mans wife even he that committeth adultery with his neighbours wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10)


Yes, Mr. Gibson is headed for the deep fires of Hell upon his leaving this earth:  “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, NOR ADULTERERS, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)


Miles, I will pray for you tonight in the hopes that our Hebrew God will forgive your insolence towards his doctrine. You can thank me later.


Gee whiz Ted, sounds like EVERYONE is going miss out on the kingdom of God.

(Pelican 20:14)


Pelican1


Excuse me, but are you trying in vain to write a “newer than new third testament” with your reference of a chapter and verse subsequent to your name?


BLASPHEME!


To quote Mr’s Murph (Aretha Franklin) in the Blues Brothers….”Don’t you blaspheme in here! Don’t you blaspheme in here!”

After all, I’m a mission from God


I am laughing out loud, now. Let’s go to Leviticus 19:19, while we’re at it, and let me ask you this, Ted: Do you think that everyone who cross-breeds cattle, or who plants their fields with two kinds of crops, or who wears clothing that includes both linen and wool are also doomed to Hell?? Have you ever eaten a piece of shrimp?


You are full or fire and brimstone about the Hebrew God, but you seem to have forgotten what happened when Jesus came upon a group of men prepared to execute the principles of Exodus 20:14…. Or have you not read John 8:7?


Oh, you hypocrite! Get thee behind me, ignoramus.


Keven99, a serious word about our biblical ignorance if you don’t mind.


It dismays me to see yet another like you who disparages the Holy Bible in that what the inspired word of the Hebrew God proposed at his entry level in history is laughable to many today. Strict laws were made and were expected to be followed, period. Your Satanic and comical anachronistic thinking won’t hold water come Judgment Day, and for that, I am sorry for you.


I would suggest that you continually wear the latest asbestos suit known to man to give you some what of a chance of a cooler existence in the depths of hell upon your ungodly arrival there someday.


It’s not that I that think God’s aforementioned creation will go to hell for their misdeeds of not following ALL of the direct 613 Commandments of the law, as in part, the mixing different threads or eating shell fish, it is the inspired writer of said laws that substantiates this fact, God!


Because of myself being a rare true Christian, I do not eat creepy crawly things that reside upon the ocean depths as God intended. Furthermore, It sickens me to be in a fine restaurant all dressed in a simple cotton blend, and then come across an assumed Christian couple who weights in at around 300 per person wearing Christian crosses upon their necks as they sit in Satan’s polyester blends as they pound down “an all you can eat shrimp fest” As they take their hypocritical stance against God’s laws in this respect, and unknowingly to their outright ignorance, these type of God’s creation will some day take the one-way E-ticket ride to the sulfur lakes of hell upon their demise, praiseI


Thank you later?! That’s comedy right there.


The only thing I will thank you for is minding your own business in regards to my faith. I don’t come around here inferring such things about other posters, you would do well to speak for yourself in regards to personal religious beliefs.


BTW, you have made another incorrect ASSumption, I am NOT (obviously) a christian. So please, do not pray for me, save your much needed prayers for yourself.


miles archer.


Ahh, so you do have a faith, but I missed my mark on which one of the plethora of WRONG faiths out there other than Christianity. If you don’t want to be considered a Christian, then don’t use our material of “cast the first stone.” This is a Christian reference because it resides within the bible. You’re excused.


I am sorry that anyone should have to mind their own business to your particular faith, or that you cannot mention said faith for reasons of an unknown. Is it one of those Satanic mystery cults? Never mind, keep it private if you’re embarrassed about it publicly.


Relative to me praying for you is quite obvious to a true Christian because of your laissez-faire stance towards adultery! Christians understand that this ungodly act is punishable by death as our God so states. How can Mr. Gibson be in his right mind in office if he allows himself to commit an ungodly act while he is in office?


You have to understand, that if you’re not a Christian, but still have a faith of some kind, then you are under the wrong faith and I am instructed by my Hebrew God to spread the gospel of Christianity. (Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19).


Sorry, I will continue to pray for you to see the right religion and God of which will allow your salvation. This is because, don’t you want to see each other in heaven? Sure you do.


How about the fact that he was engaged in this behavior on taxpayer time with taxpayer funded equipment.


How does one get taxpayers to fund their ‘equipment’ ? I thought that ‘equipment’ was God-given at birth.


This is a new one on me !


Libertarian?


The CATO Institute is an ultra-right-wing money-laundering organization.


To the people who show up at every Supervisor’s meeting and rag on Bruce Gibson. YOU are so boring, you haven’t said anything new in 5 years. YOU run off other people, like me who would like to come and speak at public comment, I don’t want to sit among you in the audience (I know some of you personally and you are charming, nice people, but you are and have been rude and nasty, over the top! nasty, I keep hoping our BOS meetings can be free of your ugliness, but they never are. Can’t you write letters and give us all a break! I use to attend the meetings but you have driven me away, and I think that is unfair. You know who you are!


If our free speech during a public comment period annoys you, perhaps you are not cut out for politics in a free society. Perhaps you could list the speakers who have your permission to speak there mind’s.


fishing village says: “free of your ugliness, rag, so boring, haven’t said anything new, YOU run off other people, rude, nasty, I think that is unfair! WAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAA


The irony of a anonymous account making ad hominem attacks on free people stating there names and speaking there minds during the allotted and required public comment period…….


kettle,


Maybe we could frame the free speech thing this way (and BTW kettle, this IS my real name and I go to meetings locally with the same commenters fishing village speaks of): If you say things week after week that are merely repetitions of what you said the week before and which are just angry statements against a sewer that won support handily, and asked NEW questions, not the same old ones which were answered more than once before, you ARE boring. IF those same speakers refrained from talking over speech of other speakers that they disagree with and let you get your words out, fishing village would probably not have written what he/she said above.


Free speech gets you what you put into it, attention if you make sense, being ignored if you don’t.


Typical, everyone is allowed free speech as long as it doesn’t disagree with your views, if so then we need to control it, Sorry free speech is everyone’s right, not just those that agree with you.


Geez, not only does Lynette Hoot and Toot for her man with every writing (President of his fan club), now she wants to support him in taking away our local free speech. Gibson has already reduced the 3 minutes public comments down to 2 minutes and if he had his choice he shouldn’t be allowed in the chamber. The the hell with all of us, he knows best and will make decisions for us and like “fishing village” they don’t want any discord or interference in the plans. If Gibson and Hill (who pays no attention to public comment of disagreement anyways) had their way, there would be no public comment session.


We have a right to be heard, like it or not, and we will speak loud and clear and if you don’t like it, don’t come. There is a lot I don’t like but I have to tolerate too!


Don’t forget the $37 per hour Sheriff’s Deputy guarding Gibson from the violent speakers who come from Los Osos each week to torment and disrupt his meeting. Seriously, the guy/gal is only there for Public Comment and leaves unless another Los Osos item is on the agenda. Another a waste of taxpayer funds.


You are worried about $37/hr? How about the THOUSANDS of dollars your fruitless search for dirt is costing the County?


Heck, I’ll pay the $37, it is worth it to me to have safety for the audience. I’ve see one member of the public (AB) throw a chair at a CSD meeting, good thing the BOS seating is bolted down!


I’ll agree with the torment part however.


BS. The $37/hr for the Deputy is to intimidate constituents from speaking their mind at the supervisor meetings.


Too bad for Gibson and Hill, who use taxpayer dollars to fund the lifestyles of their girlfriends, that SLO constituents aren’t so easily intimidated.


If the supes don’t want to have their actions criticized, they need to clean up their acts and stop using taxpayer money to support their girlfriends.


The time spent on public comment varies with the agenda and the number of speakers, but I guess you don’t know that SLOBIRD.


Discord is fine when there is any relevance to it. Repeating rhetorical questions that have been answered numerous times is not discord but stupidity. But perhaps if the speakers didn’t frame every question within a diatribe of their hatred of the project, whatever kernel of truth if there is any in the comment, might be become apparent.


Human psychology: Trying to win someone over is best done without first slapping the mouth that could give you the answer. So since that simple lesson has not been learned, one can only conclude the comments are supposed to be a laundry list of how much the project is hated and nothing else.


The fact is, these people didn’t get the project THEY wanted (or NO project) and they won’t let the rest of us off the hook for approving it.


For instance this past week, one commenter actually yelled at the Supes. Behavior like that is embarrassing for the speaker and off-putting to the listeners. You don’t even see Debbie Arnold jumping in to ask questions anymore or Frank Mecham either!


And who decides if there is any relevance to a comment?, you?, the person the comment is about?. Is repeating a question a problem if an answer is never given?, who decides is a given answer is really an answer or just an attempt to stop free speech?, again the person the comment is about?


Vote for Bruce Gibson if you like/agree with what he has done as a Supervisor or don’t. Leave the trash out of it!!


“I will leave my private life unsullied as an example to all”


But..but..if you leave the trash out of it well then Gibson wouldn’t really exist.


If you leave the trash out of it, he certainly wouldn’t have a girlfriend.


But it is exactly what Mr. Gibson has done “as a supervisor” that is trash, the two can not be separated. Time for Mr. Gibson to find a new line of work not at the taxpayers expense


So true, kayaknut. Gibson is sleazy, and that characteristic is reflected in his personal AND professional lives. The people of SLO County deserve better.


fishing village we are TRYING to take the “TRASH” out. …..GIBSON


We can’t leave the trash out of it because our taxpayer dollars are going to fund the lifestyle of his girlfriend, a clear conflict of interest.


So,..I’m sitting on the couch in my living space inside my home on Saturday afternoon. Through the blinds and out of the corner of my eye I see a man come to the front door and pause for a moment. No knock, nothing. As he walks away, I notice it looks like Gibson (though much smaller in stature than I expected). I’m hurredly trying to remember that other potatoes heads name of which he supports. You know, the loose cannon. Cause I wanna give him a piece of my mind before he escapes. Well, after Adam Hills name finally comes to mind and gibson is 3 doors down, I hollered something to him. He didn’t stop or turn. So, I take the “vote for me” card that he left under the doormat, and at the top he wrote “sorry I missed you” Yea! thanks for knocking, lol! In his defense I suppose he could have seen me as he may have been peering through the blinds and felt he didn’t need to knock. But I don’t think so.


We can do better than this!


Bruce Gibson walked in your neighborhood!, there are plenty of voters in Los Osos who will vote for him in June, and he will talk to them and he would have talked to you, also. Bruce is a good man, with a good heart and has worked hard for the people of Los Osos. He deserves the votes of those who believe he is the best candidate for the job. We have heard enough dirt for one election!


The only dirt in this election was created by Mr. Gibson. Let’s hope the voters have had enough of Mr. Gibson’s dirty politics and decide it is time for him to find a new line of work, if not hopefully Ms. Ray will be shown the door so as to marginalize the Gibson Hill voting block and return the BOS to the people.


A good man? Hah! Take the the sleazy extramarital affair out of the equation and you STILL have a morally-bankrupt sleaze who is behind all kinds of shady schemes to help his political cronies at the expense of the good people in this County. When one of Gibson’s pals wants to do something that violates our laws, the County staff people get a call from Gibson telling them to “make it work” – and they do because they know that if they don’t their jobs are in jeopardy.


Surprised Mbactivist1 that you are not a Gibson support since your 3 in MB love Gibson and are whole heated supporters of him.


In that regard, they are seriously misguided.


It is his right to find happiness. I have met Cherie and she is a pleasant, nice woman. All are adults in this situation, no small children. Life is not predictable! I’m supporting Bruce Gibson and I support his friend, Cherie, I wish them the best.


And Mr.s Gibson? What about her?


Don’t forget Mr. Aispuro (husband of 29 years, father and grandfather) and now she’s Cherie “McKee”. To avoid Google perhaps?


Heartbreaking, of course. I hope she finds happiness.


I wish them the best too, in their next employment opportunity, hopefully, not taxpayer funded.


I agree with you fishing village. This is a political witch hunt and apparent to all with a brain who read here. The thing was settled ages ago and to bring all this up again now, as in WHO leaked to the press that this was under consideration by the Grand Jury, is highly suspect as to motive.


Poor Bruce. The best he can get as a defender is someone who can’t quite do the job.


Attacking the messenger does not make a valid argument. If you have a problem with Gibson getting criticized for his behavior as County Supervisor, talk to him about it. Don’t attack the messenger who simply pointed it out.


Personal insults aside, you bring up a good point Mary Malone. The “messenger” is actually CalCoastNews! My problem is the obvious political bias in bringing up a Grand Jury item from a hugely angry detractor of Mr. Gibson’s right at election time!


Another blogger pointed out how late in the Grand Jury game this complaint is originating since the initial records request was November 29, 2012. Why now, why not November 2013? And who spilled the beans that this was a Grand Jury item anyway?


And it is Rita Neal that is being pounced on, not Gibson, but the story seems to center around Gibson!


Quote CCN, If the grand jury were to find criminal conduct on the part of Gibson or other county officials, it could call for prosecution. Julie’s beef is Rita Neal’s delay, reading Gibson’s e-mails is Julie’s “job” not the Grand Jury’s – they haven’t even looked at this stuff! Yet the “story” speculates, there exists the possibility of the grand jury finding wrongdoing beyond failure to comply with the records act.


Obvious political maneuvering on CCN’s part.


Funny how whenever something is brought up that is negative against one’s favorite candidate in an election year it is always a which hunt, political bias, or otherwise unfair, but should something be brought about their favorites opponent it is okay and the people’s right to know.


I know people who have met her in the context of her work at the County and found her to be an arrogant, rude, generally unpleasant person.


That maybe the first time I have ever liked a comment by MBactivist


Why not? she can only loose her job “when”, I mean “if ” Mr. Gibson cheats on her.


His friend Cherie? bahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahah lady…..get a GRIP.


OH PUKE


Julie is a citizen of this County and has every right to seek the information through the California Public Records Act . That is her right as an American citizen, citizen of California, resident of San Luis Obispo County. Why does everyone have a problem with this request? Someone afraid of something. Don’t be, Ms. Neal with cover Gibson’s a$$.


We all know how honest, upstanding, serving Mr. Gibson and his girlfriend Ms. Cherie Aispuro McKee are in the office they jointly share!