Chamise Cubbinson, Mendocino County’s Auditor-Controller elect, was booked in the Mendocino County Jail this afternoon along with Paula June Kennedy, County of Mendocino’s former payroll manager.
Both women were booked into the jail on Ukiah’s Low Gap Road and released in an hour’s time on a single felony charge of misappropriation of public funds.
The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint on Friday, October 13, 2023, alleging that Kennedy received $68,106 in unauthorized pay. The complaint accuses the women of “knowingly, unlawfully, and serially” misappropriating public funds all paid out to Kennedy.
Attorney Chris Andrian, Cubbinson’s attorney, told our reporter Mike Geniella, “I have reviewed all the evidence in this case, and I have found nothing to indicate Chamise engaged in any criminal conduct. Among other things there is no assertion by the prosecution Chamise received any personal benefit, or that any of the public funds found their way into her pockets.”
It’s worth noting that Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster publicly voiced his opposition to Cubbinson taking the lead of the Auditor-Controller office after the former department head Lloyd Weer retired early in September 2021.
DA Eyster told the Board of Supervisors she was not “right for the job”. Insiders within the District Attorney’s office claim Cubbinson faced Eyster’s ire after she questioned his expenditures while serving under Weir as the Assistant Auditor-Controller.
Cubbinson and Kennedy are set to be arraigned this Tuesday, October 17, 2023.
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I foresee the State/Feds coming in. Sad day for Mendocino County. Bias and media attention with big photos of all parties makes this all so seem so egotistical and accusatory but now felony wrap for employees & mug shots. Who helps the auditors now….who will appoint the new person in charge of this powerful position that the Board invented, is my question. My gut says State/Feds will be here…very soon. Because it all smells fishy. The Board best be ready. And DA’s office. Investigations are long, costly and State/Feds just come in quickly & that level lawyers are extremely expensive. Win for lawyers….loss for the citizens. Next election please vote… will be only way to get a functional Board and unbiased attitudes. And vote for exsperience in finance & bookkeeping, computer background, humbleness, with cooperation skills…especially people skills. Not status quo.
The State Auditor’s office is already doing a special audit.
My question is and has continued to be, why is DA Dave not charging the fired ex-chief of Ukiah police Noble W. When anyone has questioned him, he is not commenting. Doesn’t the public have the right to know? The public knows a crime was committed and there is a victim. The public knew Noble had already settled in an out of court settlement involving another victim.
Maybe the question here should be, is the current DA qualified to do his job?
Precisely. He is most definitely not.
This is just the beginning. Wait for the state audit to come back.
when do we get to see Eysters mugshot?
Coming soon I hope.
Eyster, shyster. What a load of crap.
Games like since I’ve been a child 1976 raised in fort Bragg this county has been nothing but embezzlement rip offs cops beating people up raping people corrupt lawyers corrupt judges is there any pride or integrity in this county leadership whatsoever? Hell now even the candidates for just local government are doing corrupt crap before they even get in. Like threatening a local cop in fort bragg while running for local government and doing this on film. Or like having a local veteran plaque removed by the city so you can claim you found it in a homeless encampment on your cleanup day just before elections. Corrupt politicians, Law enforcement, DA/PD, Auditors, Realtors, Cops and family services , Non profits, Fingerprinting services, lie detection services for pedophiles, SUDT, Anger management, Covid crap hell anything that comes with a federal funding program. If Mendocino county is seriously wanting to restore any integrity or honor this county once possessed: Only thing we can do at this point is swipe the whole county clean