Some interesting things have happened on the road to fill the seat left vacant on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors by the resignation of Roy Wilson.
Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, who had represented the 4th District that covers the eastern parts of the County since 1995, resigned his office on August 20th due to an undisclosed illness. Wilson succumbed to this illness and died less than a week later on August 26th.
As we last reported there are those in Riverside County government who have said Roy Wilson was in a coma or otherwise incapacitated at the time he resigned from office. This has been kept quiet because it would throw the validity of Supervisor Wilson's resignation into question.
Inside Riverside's review of Supervisor Roy Wilson's resignation letter has revealed that the signature on it does not match Roy Wilson's signature on the Supervisor campaign finance filings.
As you can see for yourself the signature on Roy Wilson's resignation letter
than Roy Wilson's signature on his campaign finance filing from only a month earlier
and the resignation signature is different than a signature of Wilson's from 2007
and it is different than Wilson's signature from 2006.
Odd that none of Wilson's signatures on official public documents signed under penalty of perjury match Wilson's signature on the resignation letter, isn't it, dear readers?
Well, here's another puzzle. In the campaign finance report that Roy Wilson filed on July 17, 2009, Wilson reported having $619,762.63 in the bank. But the money's not all there now.
Inside Riverside has learned that $200,000 is missing from Roy Wilson's campaign account.
But don't worry dear readers, you don't have to look too far to find the disappearing $200,000.
Wilson's money has mysteriously reappeared in State Senator John Benoit's campaign account.
Here's the so-called official story on how that happened:
Allegedly, the ailing Wilson transferred $200,000 from his campaign account to an account set up by John Benoit to run for election to the Board of Supervisors in June 2010, whether or not Benoit received the interim appointment from the Governor.
But is that version of events true?
If Roy Wilson was in a coma and/or otherwise incapacitated when he is alleged to have signed his resignation letter, then did Roy Wilson really give John Benoit $200,000?
If someone forged Roy Wilson's signature on his resignation letter to the County, then did that same person also forge Roy Wilson's on a $200,000 check to John Benoit?
Also, what is the status of the over $419,000 that was left in Roy Wilson's campaign account? Is it still there? Or has that money been siphoned off to different politicians?
There are some very serious ethical and legal issues going at play here if any of this is true.
If Wilson was not conscious when any of this went down anyone that participated in signing or submitting a fake resignation letter to the County has taken part in a major act of fraud on the general public.
And if Wilson was in a coma and/or legally incapacitated when $200,000 of his campaign funds were handed over to State Senator John Benoit, then the parties in involved in this transaction may have participated in an embezzlement of funds from Wilson's campaign.
And if that's true, given Wilson age and infirmity at the time, they would have also taken advantage of a senior citizen who had trusted them. That would be elder abuse.
These things need to be looked into before Governor Schwarzenegger chooses a replacement for Roy Wilson's seat on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
Particular attention needs to be given to State Senator John Benoit in this matter. Why Benoit?
Because John Benoit is the primary beneficiary of both Roy Wilson's resignation letter and the transfer of $200,000 out of Wilson's campaign account.
Senator Benoit has behaved shamelessly and without an ounce of class this entire time. He had already scheduled a fundraiser for Supervisor before Wilson's funeral had even taken place. Following this Inside Riverside report that outed Benoit for his lack of respect for the recently departed Roy Wilson, the Benoit fundraiser that was planned for October 7th was moved a week later to October 14th in an obvious attempt to discredit our reporting.
The people of Riverside County have the right to know what John Benoit knows in this matter. They also need to know when he knew it. And Benoit has a responsibility to tell them the truth.
After all Benoit wants to be the Supervisor for the 4th District. If John Benoit won't be honest with the people of Riverside County now while seeking an office, will he ever be truthful with them?
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