A Trial of Petty Pursuits: Taxpayers Fund Half-Million Dollar Hunt for $114
STOCKTON, CA – The defense took center stage last week for the trial of Trustee AngelAnn Flores, zeroing in on the district's credit card policy, which critics have lovingly dubbed "more of a suggestion than a rule." While Ms. Flores faces serious charges related to alleged personal expenses, her defense team pointed out that other, "not-politically-targeted" trustees have reportedly racked up charges significantly exceeding the annual $3,000 cap without so much as a stern look from the district's finance department. It appears some credit cards are more equal than others.
What began as a thunderous prosecution promising to expose massive embezzlement has, in recent weeks, dwindled to a whisper about a DoorDash order and a tank of gas. And by "dwindled," we mean the sum total of the actual, truly disputed charges amounts to a staggering $114.79. Yes, you read that right. One hundred fourteen dollars and seventy-nine cents.
Insiders close to the case suggest that nearly every other "questionable" charge on Trustee Flores's district-issued credit card has been meticulously proven to be legitimate, meticulously tied to legitimate school district business, or meticulously reimbursed. Upcoming proceedings are expected to officially clear those final two dastardly charges – a taco delivery for a late night meeting and a desperate dash to the gas station – as being, you guessed it, perfectly legitimate expenses related to SUSD business.
Meanwhile, sources within the District Attorney's office, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of having to pick up DA Ron Freitas' dry cleaning, estimate the total cost to taxpayers for this monumental criminal prosecution is now "comfortably north of half a million dollars." That's roughly $4,357 for every single cent Flores is accused of "misappropriating." A Stockton Unified employee quipped, "You could have bought the entire SUSD staff DoorDash for a year with that kind of money."
But the real fireworks erupted during the cross-examination of San Joaquin County Sheriff's Deputy Rocky Bullen, the man who drafted the search warrant for Flores's arrest. Under cross-examination, Rocky was caught with his pants down when defense attorney Tori Verber Salazar unearthed a peculiar detail: documents related to the Flores case mysteriously listed 209 Times investigative "journalist" Frank Gayaldo, as a reporting party.
"Oops," said a visibly surprised Deputy Bullen. Conceding the error, Rocky Bullen admitted that Mr. Gayaldo's name appeared where it shouldn't have been, suggesting that the two have been in coordination. "It seems Deputy Bullen might have accidentally hit 'Ctrl+C' a few too many times on Mr. Gayaldo's 209 Times articles when putting together the warrant," speculated one court attendee. "He probably just forgot to 'Ctrl+X' Frank's name out before pasting."
This revelation adds considerable weight to the long-whispered conspiracy theory that the entire prosecution is less about justice and more about political vendettas. It paints a vivid picture of a backroom deal, perhaps sealed with a blurry photo of DA Ron Freitas allegedly kissing Motec's infamous "ring of power," not his ass as some have speculated, in a clandestine meeting. The implied agreement: 209 Times helps elect Ron, and in return, he prosecutes AngelAnn. True to his word, Freitas initiated criminal proceedings against Flores less than a year after taking office.
While AngelAnn Flores has been put through the wringer for a paltry $114, other SUSD trustees seem to have sailed smoothly through their own questionable expenditures. Take, for instance, Trustee Cecilia Mendez, whose credit card charges were reportedly over $11,000, exceeding the district limit by $8,000 and with some transactions openly appearing to be non-official district business, including a glaring payment for printing that is allegedly linked to her re-election campaign. Yet, despite clear discrepancies, DA Freitas has steadfastly refused to launch any investigation into Mendez or any other trustee, focusing his prosecutorial laser beam exclusively on AngelAnn.
As the trial winds down, it's becoming abundantly clear that this isn't just about proving AngelAnn Flores's innocence (which, at this point, seems almost a foregone conclusion). It's about revealing that she was, in fact, one of the most scrupulous and responsible users of district-issued credit cards. The real "crime" here, it seems, might be the colossal waste of taxpayer dollars, and the blatant weaponization of the legal system for what appears to be nothing more than political retribution.
Stockton's Credit Card Policy: A "Suggestion" for Most, a "Laser Beam" for Flores
