Ex-Fresno Unified trustee under investigation over $1,200 bill for booze and Wagyu steaks
Former Fresno Unified Trustee Terry Slatic is under investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for allegedly running up a $1,252 dinner bill on Superintendent Bob Nelson’s tab and misreporting it on financial disclosure reports.
According to the complaint from the FPPC, Slatic is accused of two counts of violating the Political Reform Act. If found true, Slatic faces anything from a warning letter up to a fine of $5,000 per violation.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission is looking into allegations that Slatic ran up Nelson’s bill as high as $1,251 that night – far beyond the legal limit of $520 for a “gift” to an elected official from a single source — and later failed to properly report it to the state, according to a copy of the complaint filed with the FPPC by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
Slatic declined to comment on the record Tuesday.
FUSD spokesperson Nikki Henry declined to answer questions and said Nelson was not available for comment due to some personal family business.
The December 2021 dinner took place at Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse during a California School Board Association conference in San Diego, where Nelson had an annual tradition of treating trustees and staff to a dinner he paid for out of pocket. The other dinner guests, which included several trustees and FUSD staff, were capped at around $95 to keep the bill lower than in past years.
The complaint states that Slatic and his plus-one ordered two Wagyu Ribeye steaks at $145 apiece. They also allegedly ordered an assortment of alcoholic beverages — four vodka cocktails at $14.50 each, one tequila cocktail for $33, two $202 bottles of wine, plus another two bottles of $435 wine — but arranged for them to be rung up as Tomahawk steaks. Slatic’s motivation for doing so remains unclear, according to the complaint.
Nelson didn’t find out about the arrangement until he got the bill.
Prosecutors reported that Slatic later reported the “gift” from Nelson — as required in California for any gift over $50 to an elected official — to the state, he valued it at only $195.
As Nelson reports directly to the school board trustees, the complaint questions whether Slatic’s actions while a trustee amounted financial “abuse” of a subordinate employee.
Nelson filed a complaint in December 2021 with the Fresno County District Attorney public integrity unit. DA spokesperson Taylor Long said their office determined prosecutors “could not pursue criminal charges based on the evidence we received.”
Long said prosecutors forwarded Nelson’s complaint to the FPPC, as it’s “the appropriate agency for handling complaints regarding underreporting of gifts or gifts over the yearly limit.”
Violations of the Political Reform Act, which the FPPC investigates, can come with a penalty of up to $5,000 depending on factors such as harm to the public and willfulness, according to commission spokesperson Jay Wierenga.
There’s also no guaranteed time frame over which these kinds of investigations will occur, Wierenga added, and that it can vary based on caseload and how much further investigation needs to be done, saying “It takes ... the time it takes.”
Slatic and Nelson
Slatic served his final meeting on the Fresno Unified school board Dec. 7.
During his four years in office, Slatic took frequent shots at Nelson for the district’s struggles. At his last meeting, Slatic was the lone board member to vote against extending Nelson’s contract, pointing to declining student test scores during his tenure as superintendent.
He was also the only trustee to give Nelson a negative performance evaluation this year and in 2021.
During his single term in office, Slatic filed two complaints with the Public Integrity Unit of the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office against Nelson as well as other board members, accusing them of violating California’s Education Code. The DA’s office concluded there was no evidence of the allegations in Slatic’s first complaint in January.
Slatic was also criticized for ”bullying” Nelson and others, including trustees and school staff.
The former trustee was ousted by retired FUSD school psychologist Susan Wittrup in the Nov. 8 election. She will be sworn in Wednesday.
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This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 1:22 PM.
