By Darrell Smith, The Sacramento Bee -
Yolo County officials will examine the county probation office's books after a damning grand jury report Thursday accusing its former chief of hiding a personal relationship with the CEO of the company that provided software to her office.
"The first step is the audit and to investigate the allegations. Then, we'll have more information," said Yolo County Chief Administrator Patrick Blacklock.
Blacklock said he expects the audit of the office's payroll and procurements to conclude by year's end.
"I'm troubled, that's why I've asked the auditor to assist," Blacklock said.
The grand jury's report alleges that the probation chief – Marjorie Rist – administered $325,000 in no-bid contracts with Utah-based Allvest Information Services Inc. but had an undisclosed conflict of interest.
Rist, who was with the probation department since 2004, announced her resignation in late June. Officials at the time said she left the county "to pursue consulting and educational opportunities."
The grand jury alleges she had a "close and personal relationship" with Allvest's CEO for two years that she did not disclose to Yolo County officials until April 2012, two months before she resigned.
Rist was not available for comment. Calls to a residence listed to Marjorie Rist in Oroville were not returned.
The Allvest executive was not named in the report.
Allvest provides computer risk-assessment tools to the county's probation offices that are used to gauge the reoffending risks of probation clients.
The grand jury report alleges Rist received and approved all Allvest invoices; instructed Allvest staffers on how to complete payment invoices, including how much to charge the county, despite her relationship; and authorized incentive pay packages for probation employee trainers instructed by Allvest without county approval.
In addition, Rist's reported failure to disclose the Allvest executive's alleged substance abuse and arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence in Sacramento in April 2011 and on drug and vehicle allegations in Las Vegas in December 2011 detailed in the grand jury report also troubled the grand jury and county officials.
The report also alleges Rist used travel benefits earned as a county employee to travel from Sacramento to Utah to help the Allvest executive seek treatment and monitor his progress.
"Common sense professional ethics would dictate that any known or suspected use of a controlled substance by a consultant who is receiving large sums of money from the county and interacting with (probation) staff, should be reported to one's superior," the report read.
But, Yolo County, the jurors added, has no such reporting requirement.
"There is nothing in place to require management employees to report suspicious or harmful activity by persons providing services to Yolo County," the jurors' report read.
In fact, the county has no universal written code of conduct or ethical behavior for its employees. An overarching ethics document is still in the draft stages.
"This was a contract for the training of peace officers," Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor said Thursday. "Their role is to enforce the law. That's what elevates the significance of these allegations.
"I'm very concerned about the findings," he said. "I'm very interested in seeing that Yolo County's public integrity is restored."
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