Arias facing FPPC complaint over private jet flight provided by Mid Valley Disposal
FRESNO, Calif. – (KGPE) A new complaint filed against Fresno Councilmember and County Board of Supervisor candidate Miguel Arias accuses him of accepting a flight on a private jet provided by Mid Valley Disposal, not reporting the free gift, and then interjecting himself in contract negotiations.
The complaint was filed anonymously back on Oct. 25.
The complaint alleges Arias took a commercial flight from Fresno to La Vegas in the middle of March and then returned on a free flight on a private jet provided by the waste company.
The complaint says there is video of Arias arriving back in Fresno on the private jet, and accuses Arias of not reporting the trip.
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Fast forward to September, the complaint accuses Arias of being at city meetings about contract amendments for Mid Valley Disposal. The anonymous filer says Arias “proceeded to modify, change, and materially alter the final version of the contract”.
On Sept. 14, Arias was not at the regularly scheduled council meeting, where the mid-valley item was on the agenda.
Instead of recusing himself from the meeting, which would require him to disclose a conflict of interest, the complaint says he skipped the meeting, “falsely believing that absolved him from his financial conflict of interest.”
The filer accuses Arias of violating Government Code section 1090 which “prohibits an officer, employee, or agency from participating in making government contract in which the official or employee within the agency has financial interest”.
Eyewitness News contacted Councilmember Miguel Arias, he declined to comment on the complaint.
I then called Mid Valley Disposal and showed up at the company site asking to talk to the owner. Later our station received this statement from Mid Valley Disposal:
“Mid-Valley Disposal has, at all times, acted in firm compliance with California law. While Councilmember Arias undertook transportation from our company, it was always our understanding with Councilman Arias that we would bill him for the cost of this Transportation and that he would reimburse the cost. We timely sought reimbursement for his expenses and, after receiving the bill, Councilman Arias responded with payment.
Further, in contradiction to the complaint, Councilmember Arias did not participate in the Fresno City Council’s Sept. 14 decision to amend our franchise agreement.
Mid Valley Disposal looks forward to working with the FPPC to resolve this matter and has no further comment on this matter.”
We also reached out to the city of Fresno Spokesperson, who referred me to City Attorney Andrew Janz. So far, Janz has declined comment.
It is important to note this is just a complaint, which anyone can make to the FPPC for review.
“The review process usually takes a few days to a few weeks depending on the complexity of it and at that point, a determination is made whether or not to open an investigation is made to dismiss the complaint,” said FPPC Spokesperson Jay Wierenga.
Wierenga said thousands of complaints are made each year and hundreds are dismissed.
“It is not uncommon for someone facing a complaint or filing a complaint,” said Wierenga. “If any investigations by the FPPC enforcement division finds violations of the political reform act the people who are facing those allegations do have a right to contest and there is a hearing process that can begin if they choose to go that way or there is a settlement process that begins and people our enforcement division will work towards a settlement with the person or group involved.”
Most of the cases that wind up opened by the FPPC end in a settlement.
Last Friday, the FPPC sent this letter to Arias notifying him of the complaint, and the review. He has 14 days to respond with documentation about the allegations.
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