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Decency and deviancy, who’s abiding Adam Hill

February 11, 2020

Supervisor Adam Hill

OPINION by MIKE BROWN

The recent disclosure of San Luis Obispo County District Three Supervisor Adam Hill’s salacious emails to KVEC Radio host Dave Congalton requires immediate and concrete investigation by the Board of Supervisors. This is simply the latest example of Hill’s consistent record of abuse, threats, and crudeness.

It’s time for the board to launch a full and independent investigation of the emails.

Simultaneously, the board should request District Attorney Dan Dow to provide to them with the records of his investigation, which concluded that the vicious tirades filled with blatantly filthy and perverse sexual accusations originated from Hill’s residence.

The board should require its members, including Mr. Hill, its management staff, and past victims from within the county structure to cooperate fully with the independent investigators. There are accusations that some employees who were abused in the past were bought off with County jobs outside of Hill’s orbit.

Once completed, the results of the investigation should be fully published on the public record with the names of the witnesses redacted.

By way of context, if any county executive, manager, or other employee were suspected of such conduct, that person would be placed on administrative leave, and a formal investigation would be conducted.

The county has invoked such investigations in the past when allegations of much less egregious behavior were suspected. For example, in 2009 the board directed an investigation of its then former CEO David Edge for consensually advising his Deputy CEO on dating, dress, and potential partners. Edge was terminated.

Similarly, last year an investigation of former Public Works Director Colt Eisenwine was conducted after female employees asserted that he was giving them unwanted attention. Eisenwine resigned.

The emails, which have been published, attack private citizens, not county officials or other politicians. One is long-term radio host and community icon Dave Congalton. The other is CalCoastNews investigative reporter Karen Velie. Both have been highly critical of Hill in the past.

Hill denies the allegations and claims that his internet address was hacked and that some conspirator was the author. No doubt Vladimir Putin recognizes the global strategic importance of San Luis County.

The emails are so reprehensible and nasty that they cannot be published in the people’s public forum. They in fact accuse the subjects and other persons of sodomy and bestiality. They are also filthily misogynistic.

They violate every county harassment, discrimination, civility, and other behavioral standard in the book.

It’s time for the Board of Supervisors; the six other directly elected county officers (DA, sheriff, auditor controller, clerk recorder, assessor, and treasurer); the county CEO; and the  county counsel to lay it on the line. Any one of them could place an item on the board agenda calling for an independent investigation and/or other actions.

They need to take a firm public stand for decency over deviancy.


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So The Tribune, struggling for relevance, has acknowledged accusations against Adam Hill, literally shamed into doing so, yet coordinating damage control with his campaign. We know exactly what purpose The Tribune serves. I could spend money to support The Tribune and local journalism but I will not, pure corruption and partisanship.


11

Hill’s MO will never change and can not be modified by any investigation or action by a ‘toothless’

BOS. If you want to see someone else that acts much the same way as Hill and knows that nobody will do a thing about it – just look at the White House in DC. Hill and Trump exhibit many of the same traits in how they view the world, how they treat others, and their general respect of law and order.


If you really want to get rid of Hill – go to District 3 – find a candidate to run against Hill and do everything possible to support that candidate. But please note that this candidate will have to have a very thick skin to withstand the vicious attacks that will come from Hill and his minions. Very likely why no one has really challenged Hill in the past – they choose not to subject themselves to that.


-19

Agree with you. Too bad others feel that casting stones in glass houses is a ok. Boycott Hill, Trump and any other indecent Criminal. They are both accused Criminals whom underwent investigations, in Hill’s case; not nearly as severe crimes or indecent actions as the Floridian President, whom bribed Porn Stars he had affairs with, ie adultery, says sexist remarks, and withholds foreign aide to a country in War, to name a couple of many. Too bad money and hate buy votes and win elections, Hill has alot of both, so does Trump.


-7

Not that is would be passed but, isn’t it time for term limits?


22

The Board cannot do much to Hill, other than a public rebuke, due to his being an elected official.

In the 1980’s this county had an auditor-controller named Paul Floyd who was accused by eight of his female staffers of sexual harassment. The alleged conduct was investigated by the board and the evidence supported the women’s claims.

The only action the Board found it could take against the elected auditor was to place his staff under the direct supervision of the assistant auditor-controller and assign Floyd an office above the Fremont Theater to keep him away from the women.


When Sheriff Pat Hedges was accused of bugging the office of Chief Deputy Gary Hoving the Board couldn’t even do that much because they learned that the Sheriff is actually a state official who is elected by voters to “serve in and for the county.” Hedges stayed in command of the sheriff’s office and it was Hoving who left, albeit with a settlement from the county’s insurer.


The only thing that can be done to Hill regarding his boorish behavior is for the voters in his district to give him the boot. Unfortunately he has done such an excellent job of insulating himself by marrying the interests of developers and liberal/progressive voters to his own that I don’t think he could be blasted out of his seat with dynamite.


Of course if he were convicted of a felony crime he would be removed from office by a judge at the time of conviction. That would require someone actually got off their a** and investigate his alleged involvement in pay for play schemes and using county resources to help award permits to preferred entrepreneurs.


His connections to Helios Daysprings via Nick Andre (COO) of Dayspring’s Natural Healing Center and co-chair of SLO progessives is ripe for abuse of his authority, since Hill has a vote regarding county cannabis regulations that affects the employer of one of his staunchest political Allies.

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article238472288.html


Hill hasn’t recused himself from a single decision making process, nor abstained from a single vote regarding cannabis regulations, though curiously a few weeks ago he abstained from a vote to deny a license to a massage parlor in Los Osos. Read into that what you will…


Ultimately if Hill is re-elected the freak show will continue and we can only hope that he will trip himself up with his erratic behavior and tangled business relationships.


33

“Simultaneously, the board should request District Attorney Dan Dow to provide to them with the records of his investigation”


Just get them from Congalton, he already has them. Not sure they can legally request them from Dow if no charges are filed.


29

Pretty disgusting what one person will be subjected to for making a single comment, and yet this A’hole holds a public office and has gone non stop with this behavior for years Worst yet it appears to be fine by his superiors and others of his party. Do politicians really wonder why folks think as sub human dishonest scumbags?


42

This county has protected the criminal actions of Adam Hill for long enough. Let there be justice.


52

Yup.


It’s waaaaaaayyyyyyy overdue.


39

“Decency and deviancy, who’s abiding Adam Hill”. The Tribune, SLO Progressives, John Belsher, Ryan Petetit, Gary Grossman… the list goes on.


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