Is Adam Hill crying wolf?

December 24, 2015

One of the photos Adam Hill included in his emails as evidence he is under a protection order.

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill says he’s getting death threats and as a result is being protected by the sheriff’s department. Hill has sent multiple emails describing the threats and posting photos of sheriff’s department vehicles parked on a street.

But, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Commander Stuart MacDonald said that the department does not have a protective order for Hill. Persons who live in the neighborhood say they have not seen any sheriff’s department vehicles in the area. And, the department is not conducting any investigation into Hill’s claims that his life and family are being threatened, MacDonald said.

Hill did not respond to multiple emails asking him to substantiate his claims about death threats or of sheriff’s department protection.

Hill sent the emails following critical media coverage and commentary about his conduct on the board of supervisors. K-Jewel (KKJL) News Director Dick Mason reported on Hill walking out on a board of supervisors 50th anniversary presentation for CAPSLO, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo.

Dee Torres-Hill

Dee Torres-Hill

Hill’s wife Dee Torres was the director of CAPSLO’s homeless services. In 2013, CalCoastNews published a series of stories in which current and former CAPSLO employees said she routinely took gift cards intended for the needy and homeless and made personal use of them. CAPSLO administrators denied most of the allegations, but they admitted to questioning Torres-Hill about selling items donated to the homeless and not accounting for them.

In March 2014, CAPSLO demoted Torres-Hill and cut her pay. CAPSLO announced the move as a “restructuring” because of financial concerns. Torres sued CAPSLO alleging wrongful termination, retaliatory firing for being a whistleblower and workplace disability discrimination. That lawsuit was settled on undisclosed terms in October 2015.

Mason also questioned money that developer Gary Grossman gave to a nonprofit that Dee Torres-Hill started.

Before she left CAPSLO, Torres-Hill started the SLO Housing Connection, a nonprofit that provides homeless services that appear to duplicate many CAPSLO services, including case management, shelter and employment services. In fall 2014, Grossman made a $50,000 donation to the SLO Housing Connection as Hill aggressively attempted to persuade members of the San Luis Obispo City Council to vote in favor of a land use change that Grossman needed to develop large parcels near the airport,

Hill responded by contacting KKJL’s station manager with threats of a possible lawsuit, Mason said.

Supervisor Adam Hill

Supervisor Adam Hill

“Adam Hill contacting our station management to complain about my reporting is his prerogative, however, he’s attacking the messenger,” Mason said. “I’m only reporting the facts. His absence during CAPSLO’s 50th anniversary presentation, his threats against San Luis City Councilman Dan Carpenter, his involvement with PB Properties and his relationship with developer Gary Grossman are all newsworthy.”

Hill also sent emails to Mason directly accusing him of lying and being responsible for threats to himself and his family.

“ ‘Oh, and Dick, if you were thinking your spreading of hateful lies has no effect?’ Hill wrote. ‘Here’s the current protection outside my house, where I live with my wife and three girls.’ ”

Hills emails also blamed CalCoastNews, Dave Congalton, host of a talk show on KVEC and comments broadcast by radio station KRPL.

“You see I got another death threat stemming from lies told by the good folks at CalCoast, Congalton, and KPRL,” Hill wrote. “There are consequences to your lies. There are people out there who are stirred up and want to hurt me and my family because of the toxic garbage you all put out there. May you and your family never experience this. Shame on you.”

Mason was not present during the call that Hill made to KKJL, he said.

“For his sake, I hope his tone with my supervisor is more diplomatic and professional than the profane diatribes he emails me.”

Dick Mason

Dick Mason

Shortly after Hill called the station’s manager, a second call came in, Mason said. A person claiming to be Maggie Cox, president and CEO of the Barnett and Cox & Associates marketing and PR firm, called. The caller said she was calling on behalf of Grossman and then repeated many of Hill’s complaints, Mason said.

Cox has since said that the call did not come from her or the firm.

“No one from Barnett and Cox contacted the station,” Cox said. “It is a lie.”

Hill also accused Mason of being the voice over on a “Fire Adam Hill” video that says Hill belittles people who cross him. Mason, who said he was unaware of the video before Hill pointed it out, said the voice is not his. A search of YouTube.com turned up four “Fire Adam Hill” videos. Two of the videos appear to be criticisms of other “Fire Adam Hill” videos.

At the same time, others, including public officials, have also received calls and emails from Hill and several of his supporters claiming that the media is endangering Hill’s life and should limit its reporting to softer topics.

San Luis Obispo City Mayor Jan Marx spoke with a manager at KVEC asking that the station direct Congalton to stick with non controversial topics, Congalton said.

Dave Congalton

Dave Congalton

In another email to a local resident who does not support Hill’s reelection, Hill claims Congalton has given his address out on the air and again includes photos of sheriff vehicles he claims are there as part of a protection detail.

“This is current protection needed because of another threat against me, based on lies from CalCoast and Congalton and their accomplices,” Hill wrote. “Come by and tell them about why you spread these lies … your pal  the radio host knows the address as he broadcasts it all the time.”

Congalton has regularly questioned how Hill, on a supervisor’s salary, affords a home at the country club. However, Congalton said he has never mentioned Hill’s address on the air.

“I don’t know his address,” Congalton said.

Earlier this year, a  self-described volunteer for Hill’s reelection campaign warned KVEC management that Hill’s campaign would file a complaint with the FCC and turn advertisers away from KVEC and Dave Congalton’s talk show. The “volunteer” claimed that Congalton had made personal attacks against Hill.

In November, CalCoastNews wrote a series of stories about Hill’s moonlighting for a prominent developer. Hill refused to answer questions regarding his consulting business, his ties to developers or inconsistencies in his government filings.

Instead of answering the questions, Hill posted a statement on Facebook claiming he is being targeted by CalCoastNews on behalf of his political opponents. Hill is currently running for reelection for the District 3 seat.

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It’s not a protection order he is under.


Maybe he is under surveillance and investigation for crimes against society. Or maybe he is afraid his newest partner in crime will spill the beans that he is on the take to save their own ass. Only time will tell Adam.


Can’t wait until you are locked up, then you will have to be under a protection order – from hurting yourself while moving furniture with your cell mate Ryan.


Yet ANOTHER example of county waste, fraud, and abuse.


When I was a kid, we would meter out justice by making wrongdoers go through what we called the spanking machine. Kids would line up in a row and the offender would have to crawl through everyone’s legs. As they did, they would get a whack on th backside.


Hill needs a spanking machine set up from the courthouse down to the mission. Raffle tickets could be sold to select the lucky participants and the proceeds given to dee Torres in the form of gift cards.


You need to be taught some humility son!


Need Adam Hill out.


Adam is why this water district is happening. He and Gibson cooked this up. Don’t let a crisis go to waste! OH NO drought, do we have to prove it? NO just yell it out and call everyone a racist and declare the basin in overdraft with lies, smoke and mirrors. Take over and be a good doer by taking over and by taking over never implementing any measures that provide more water, just take over and control landowners. Let the billionaires take over and rape our county.


Water collection and storage is the solution. Notice it has been raining and no new water collection. Only a fool keeps complaining and wants more government involvement when the obvious solution to our water crisis is ADDITIONAL WATER COLLECTION and STORAGE which our government has made illegal.


The noose is tightening and the governor’s appointed Caren Ray was a far left reach into this county and has left an open wound that cannot be healed until Adam Hill is removed in June. Adam, Caren, Bruce and Frank took us here. It will take a 4 to 1 (to vote on the board) in the reverse direction on the board to clean up this mess. But we can do it and do it in JUNE!


You know, I have been quiet on this issue because I just could not put to words what I wanted to say. All I can really say is that when you are in politics, you can expect to have mud slung your way. It is just going to happen. You just have to behave in a respectable and transparent way. If you follow policy and procedures, people can get pissed off ALL THEY WANT. At least there is a rational method to the madness, and that is at least respectable. We as the taxpayer do not have to AGREE, but we can at least respect that the politician is transparent, and we can follow some sort of logic.


I know about homeless services. I have been to Prado many times. There are ways to manage donations in such a way that no impropriety occurs. It isn’t complicated. If it gets complicated, then efforts should be made to set the record straight.


Adam Hill is upset with Calcoastnews for digging around. Had his dealings been completely transparent, this would be a non-story, wouldn’t it? The best thing for him to do is just get a public relations guy to help straighten out his image. He needs to attend ALL events, even if it means leaving Dee at home. He needs to take an Ativan at Board of Supervisor meetings if that’s what it takes to behave, and he needs to get out in to the community and pretend to be a normal person. He needs to spend this holiday binge watching “Dexter” on Netflix to see how psycho people blend in to society without killing people on the daily and just do that. (Ignore the vigilante part).


As for the death threat thing… False police reports are a SERIOUS deal. In this economy, utilizing police resources on lies should be grounds for losing the supervisory seat. Either there ARE or ARE NOT death threats. If there ARE, they should be taken with upmost seriousness. Adam Hill is a human being, and we must not allow threats to go unchecked. All evidence should be gathered immediately and pursued. If this is a hoax, then perhaps these theatrics should be dealt with as well.


Adam Hill, you made 82k last year, not counting benefits. I expect better.


I bet those sheriff’s deputies were in Hill’s neighborhood on another call at a different residence and he snapped a picture of their vehicles. CCN should check the sheriff’s logs to see if their was a call for service for some other address on Hill’s street in the last month.


Negative on that…they were there investigating HIM for threatening someone.


Why would Hill make such a statement about receiving protection from the sheriff’s department when he has to know the media is going to ask the sheriff if it’s true or not.


I am not thrilled with any of the candidates in the race, but, this guy has got to go!


This is standard operating procedure around here.


Claim a threat, stalkers, hate speech or whatever, then file a complaint with the SO office (or other agency), take pictures.


Now you can say the threats are “under investigation” and reap the sympathy vote.


Jerks have used this for years (file worthless complaints to irs,ftb zoning, licensing etc) against local people who speak out against the status quo.


The mere mention of Hill and his uncommon-law “wife” induces an unwelcome sensation of nausea.


I believe they got married so that they can refuse to testify against each other with the protection of the marriage clause.


“How does someone who makes 85k afford….”


Isn’t everyone around here in some sort of real estate scam? I mean, you folks have figured out how to take dumpy homes and sell them for seven figures. It’s why all your kids have moved out of state.


Not a scam, it’s the market. I have three adult children they all own homes here, they figured it out.


Figured out the scam, you mean?


D.C. saved you out here in 2008, but it will revert back over time. You are already somewhat paying for it, as SLO cannot offer any good employment prospects beyond tourism which will become this area’s main sector in the future. Those jobs will pay $15-25 an hour.


pop..prick..”punchbowl” emtpy.


For some the glass is half empty, the kids see it as half full and you obviously see it as draining. If you think like a peanut, you’re a peanut.


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