Vulgar, threatening emails came from SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill’s home

February 2, 2020

By CCT STAFF

The emails to popular local radio talk show host Dave Congalton were taunting and sexually perverse. And, after a lengthy criminal investigation, the district attorney’s office determined that the emails came from the home of San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill.

The emails began in July 2016 and used the name “Sal Krill.” Among the half-dozen messages to Congalton, a KVEC radio icon who has been critical of Hill, were mocking attacks about the suicide of one of Congalton’s friends and his divorce.

“I wanted to know who would be that despicable to make light of a suicide?” Congalton said on his show Wednesday. “Who was the person who was taunting me about my divorce and the suicide of a close personal friend?

Hill has used a false identification before. In 2012, he pretended to be Ed Waage, his opponent in the District 3 supervisor race. He left a voicemail for a woman who had written a letter to the editor. The message mocked the woman for her letter.

Because the emails to Congalton are unsuitable for children and disturbing to some adults, they have been redacted with uncensored copies available through provided links.

In a July 20, 2016 email, salkrill12@gmail.com wrote to Congalton making vulgar comments about reporters from CalCoastNews and cruel remarks about Congalton’s former wife Charlotte, and ending with a threat.

“You still f****** dogs like velie or 4-legged kinds? we pray for Charlotte’s soul in this time of transition. may she survive the horror that is you, that has always been you and that came out for real when you began f******* karen velie and giving b****** to dan blackburn. you have only begun to pay, congalton.” Link to full email.

A day later, salkrill12@gmail.com sent another email making more vulgar attacks.

“Congalton Show(s) his bare ass! Don’t worry, Dave! Even a D-list local celebrity with three chins can get laid by a vulnerable person who wants to pretend you are important! And when Velie doesn’t want you to pluck her mustache and Blackburn doesn’t need your finger up his ***, you can pleasure **** **** who is known to enjoy killing puppies after sex! Dave? F*** you!” Link to full email.

Congalton then took his computer to the district attorney’s office, which opened a criminal investigation into the threatening and harassing emails. After a judge signed off on a request for a search warrant to Gmail, district attorney investigators learned the emails came from Hill’s home.

Investigators questioned both Hill and his wife at the time, Dee Torres-Hill; both denied they sent the emails. Attorney Don Ernst, representing the Hills, told prosecutors that if the district attorney filed charges, he would argue his clients’ IP address had been hacked.

Although criminal charges have not been filed, the district attorney’s office recently released records of the investigation to Congalton showing the emails came from Hill’s home.

Congalton told his radio audience, ”Those of you who are liberal, you go after Trump supporters and their blind allegiance to Donald Trump. Conservatives feel the same way about you and your blind allegiance to Adam Hill. Hill is a bully. He goes after people. You cross him, he destroys you.”

In the 2012 voicemail, Hill left the following message on Pismo Beach resident Shelia Blake’s answering machine, calling her names and claiming to be Waage.

“Hi Mrs. Blake, I read your letter in the Tribune, are you a communist, or a socialist, or both or maybe a Marxist, this is Ed Waage. Just wanted to let you know what I thought,” the message says.

Hill denied leaving the voicemail, but after CalCoastNews posted audio of the voicemail, that clearly sounded like Hill, he admitted he made the call. He said he was only “joking.”