Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the chair of the City Council’s legislative committee. The error has been corrected.
More than a year after a grand jury published an investigation into the alleged intimidation of city officials and employees by the 209 Times, the Stockton City Council has not implemented two of the grand jury’s recommendations aimed at countering the “environment of fear” at City Hall.
“The Civil Grand Jury finds that the Stockton City Council has not complied,” the grand jury said in a follow-up report that was included in the council’s Sept. 9 meeting agenda. No discussion of the report occurred at the meeting.
Councilmembers and the mayor didn’t immediately respond to an emailed question about why it wasn’t discussed.
Ethical governing ‘under attack’
First published in June 2024, during the tenure of the previous City Council, the scathing investigation by the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury focused on suspected leaks of confidential, closed-session discussions by councilmembers.
It also arose from “complaints regarding a threatening and ineffective work environment created within Stockton City Government involving intimidation by individuals associated with” the 209 Times, the investigation stated.
“The efficient and ethical governing of the City of Stockton is under attack by both external and internal forces,” the investigation said. “This must be stopped.”
What changes did the council make?
The grand jury recommended 11 actions the City Council could take. And in the ensuing year, the council did enact several significant changes, including barring councilmembers from bringing most types of electronic devices to closed-session meetings and from publishing their individual positions using the City Council’s official letterhead.
Five of the grand jury’s recommendations have been implemented so far. On Sept. 9, the City Council unanimously voted to enact three more.
Yet the City Council has taken no action on two remaining items aimed at countering the alleged intimidation.
One advised councilmembers who support the 209 Times to stop “enabling” the group. Another advised that the council adopt transparency rules for any political consultant — such as the 209 Times’ founder — wishing to operate in Stockton politics.
The 209 Times is a “media and marketing” business owned by Stockton political consultant Motecuzoma Sanchez, according to state business filings.
Sanchez didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the grand jury investigation.
What changes didn’t they make?
None of the three updates the City Council has provided the grand jury since August 2024 has explained its lack of action on the grand jury’s recommendation that councilmembers “stop enabling the (209 Times) from interfering with effective city government through their continued association and/or support of individuals associated with” the group.
In fact, the council dedicated just one line to the issue: “The City Council acknowledges the 2023-2024 Grand Jury recommendation.”
Meanwhile, some candidates and councilmembers continued to appear on the 209 Times’ social media. During campaign season, the group promoted then-candidates Mayor Christina Fugazi, Vice Mayor Jason Lee, and councilmembers Mario Enriquez and Mariela Ponce.
More recently, Fugazi praised Sanchez from the podium at a ribbon-cutting for the Victory Park Pool, according to a video on Sanchez’ Facebook page, and appeared alongside him in a photo at the event.
“Motec was the chair, Miguel was the vice chair (of the Strong Communities Committee). They made the motion and second and they got the money to get this started,” Fugazi said at the ribbon-cutting.
At the Sept. 9 City Council meeting, the mayor faced backlash over the photo and her longtime association with Sanchez.
“How can anyone take your commitment to honest government and transparency seriously when you’re cozying up to the powers keeping the city down?” resident Andy Abbott said during public comment.
Later during the meeting, Fugazi seemed to downplay the grand jury’s findings, comparing the 209 Times to the Facebook page The Stockton View, the satirical commentary site The Stockton Cabal and critical posts on the Nextdoor app.
Fugazi did not respond to an emailed questions about whether she would support City Council action on the grand jury’s recommendation to cease associating with the 209 Times.
The second recommendation the City Council hasn’t implemented would require local consultants to be transparent about their relationships with candidates through new disclosure rules.
“The City should adopt an ordinance … (requiring) political consultants and candidates to file reports directly to the City in all municipal elections,” the grand jury stated.
The reports would include “listing business relationships, financial investments, and who they pay for political help or receive in-kind support from, as well as indicating whom they provide support to in elections.”
The 209 Times has done paid campaign work for local politicians including former Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua and Councilmember Michele Padilla, campaign finance records show.
Padilla, Councilmember Mariela Ponce and District Attorney Ron Freitas have publicly thanked people linked to 209 Times for their campaign victories. Sanchez often appears at events alongside public officials, sometimes in seats set aside for those close to them.
The grand jury pointed to San Francisco’s campaign consultant regulations as a possible model for Stockton. San Francisco’s rules require consultants to register annually with the city’s ethics commission and disclose quarterly which politicians they’ve exchanged money with.
The regulations let the city fine consultants up to $100 daily for missed disclosures and up to $5,000 for other violations. They further allow for a consultant’s permission to participate in election work to be cancelled for violations, as well as for civil lawsuits and misdemeanor charges for willful or negligent violations.
The City Council’s Legislation and Environmental Committee held an initial discussion about implementing the consultant rules and possibly establishing an ethics commission in September 2024. Led by Councilmember Michael Blower at the time, the committee also included former Councilmembers Susan Lenz and Kimberly Warmsley.
They decided not to move forward with the grand jury’s recommendations.
“If somebody hires a political consultant, you should be able to see that on their 460s,” or campaign committee disclosures, Blower said at the time.
Form 460s are public statements showing how candidates have spent campaign committee funds, including on consultants. Consultants not paid with official campaign committee money wouldn’t necessarily show up in the statements.
“If you have a bad actor out there that’s not showing up on 460s, which does happen, I don’t think those bad actors are going to run down to the city of Stockton and register,” Blower said.
The legislation committee — now led by Enriquez, and including Padilla and Vice Mayor Jason Lee — could still workshop the grand jury’s consultant recommendation and send a proposal to the full council for a vote.
The grand jury urged the City Council to adopt a policy responding to its recommendations by Oct. 15.