I am acquainted with sheriff’s Deputy Juan Lopez, and DA Steve Wagstaffe.
When Juan ran as a write-in candidate for sheriff, I voted for him. I later met him and his fiancee at a San Mateo County Libertarian Party meeting. Mark De Paula, John McDowell and I, running as a team for the Sequoia Healthcare District board of directors, sought and received the party endorsement. Juan helped Mark place campaign signs for the team. I trust Juan Lopez.
My experience with Wagstaffe was in relation to a complaint I filed regarding three “sitting” Sequoia Healthcare District directors, Kane, Griffin and Faro, who had voted themselves an increase in health insurance benefits. After exchanging communications with Mark Hudak, counsel for the district, the DA’s office declined to take action to seek return of benefits erroneously received by the trio.
Hudak is well-known in the San Mateo County legal community. Was this a conflict of interest? Shouldn’t the DA have referred this to the attorney general or the grand jury?
I question Wagstaffe’s purpose in prosecuting Deputy Lopez.
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