Adam Hill’s widow recounts his hunger for money, women

July 28, 2024

Editor’s note: This is the second in a four-part series regarding the history of former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill based largely on statements and interviews released as part of a federal criminal trial regarding corruption, bribery, and fraud. Read part-one: “Adam Hill’s tortuous journey to San Luis Obispo County.”

By KAREN VELIE

After securing a seat on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, Adam Hill’s political status made the short, stocky Hill attractive to multiple women he dated at the time, including a prominent director at a local nonprofit and a future county supervisor.

While working as a lecturer in the English department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Hill sported a ponytail and only wore black clothing. Accused by multiple students of sexual misconduct, Hill was unable to advance at the university.

Hill joined the Board of Supervisors in 2009. He then began spending time with and promoting the careers of CAPSLO’s Director of Homeless Services Dee Torres and Dawn Ortiz-Legg.

In early 2010, Hill voted for changes to the county’s open space element in support of First Solar’s goal to construct a solar farm in North County. In 2010, First Solar hired Ortiz-Legg to do outreach and attain government approvals, a job Ortiz-Legg says she garnered on her own.

Hill later appointed Ortiz-Legg as his planning commissioner, which helped propel her into her current position on the SLO County Board of Supervisors.

On Valentine’s Day 2010, Christopher Duenow, Adam Hill’s attorney, filed divorce papers against Hill’s first wife.

Torres says she and Hill fell in love in May 2011, according to investigator Heidi Alonzo’s 2022 interview with Torres-Hill.

Alonzo was working on behalf of Ryan Wright’s attorney Jeff Isaacs. Wright and his co-conspirator attorney John Belsher allegedly paid nearly $100,000 in bribes and gifts to Hill, according to federal court records.

“They ‘fell in love’ and began a romantic relationship after that dinner,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “They started working more closely and Hill began to advocate more vigorously for the homeless.”

Hill and Torres spoke of marriage, though issues over Hill’s promiscuity created ripples in their relationship.

“Torres discovered much later, from reading Hill’s text messages, that Hill was dating several women at the time Torres started dating him,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “Hill dated Dawn Ortiz-Legg, who is a county supervisor who replaced Hill on the Board of Supervisors after he died.

“Torres found out that Ortiz-Legg was a friend of Don Ernst and Susan Devine, and Ortiz-Legg was sleeping with Hill at the time Torres started dating him.”

Supervisor Ortiz-Legg told CalCoastNews she stopped having intimate encounters with Hill after he began dating Torres.

Despite a multi-year economic downturn, while Hill and Torrres spent time together the amount of revenue the Board of Supervisors awarded CAPSLO soared. From 2008 through 2011, CAPSLO’s total revenue grew from $51,499,811 to $59,767,661.

It was during this time that CalCoastNews discovered Torres routinely took gift cards intended for the needy and homeless for her own use, according to information obtained from a number of former homeless service employees and Torres’ ex-boyfriends.

Hill then began threatening to destroy CalCoastNews, its reporters, and their family members if reporters did not agree to write only positive articles about Torres and himself.

In an apparent attempt to shutter CalCoastNews, Torres filed a lawsuit in 2013 against private investigator Mike Brennler, who helped collect evidence for CalCoastNews regarding Torres’ alleged misappropriation of homeless funds.

Attorney Don Ernst recommended Torres hire attorney Roy Ogden to sue Brennler and multiple unnamed Does, Torres said in her 2022 interview.

“Don Ernst and other attorneys in town convinced Torres and Hill that Torres should sue,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “Roy Ogden represented Torres pro bono. Torres stated that she never got to testify, lost the case, and had to pay $18,000 toward Brennler’s attorney’s fees.”

Shortly before losing the lawsuit, Torres put a $50,000 deposit on a home in San Luis Obispo, a sale she says she was forced to cancel.

“They had to cancel the home purchase and get their deposit back in order to pay the $18,000 settlement,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “Ogden had Torres write a check to him, and he wrote a check to the defendant’s attorney, Stew Jenkins.”

At the time, Torres was unaware that Ogden was also Belsher’s attorney.

“Ernst and Hill were best friends,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “Ogden was one of the few attorneys who Torres invited to Hill’s memorial service. Torres now thinks that Ogden was either ‘Mr. Magoo’ or working for the other side, because in hindsight she does not think he gave her good advice.”

In May 2014, Hill and Torres rented a house on Country Club Drive in San Luis Obispo, where they were married during a small gathering in their backyard. Torres was out of work on disability at the time and was in a deep depression, she said.

“She and Hill were financially strained, and Hill worried that he would not be able to support Torres and her three daughters if he lost the next election,” according to Torres-Hill’s 2022 interview. “Hill’s worst fear was not having a job and being able to support his family. He was fighting against lies in the media. It got worse and worse, and continues to this day.”

It was during this time that Hill secured a clandestine position with PB Companies. Hill agreed to promote Ryan Petetit, now Ryan Wright, and John Belsher’s development projects in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties for regular payments and perks such as a leased car.

Read part-three, “Bribery, fraud and threats mar Hill’s financial plans,” on Thursday.