AUDITOR CONTROLLER RESPONDS TO GRAND JURY REPORT

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM)- Humboldt County’s embattled Auditor Controller is speaking out, just days before voters are set to decide her fate at the ballot box.

It comes after a newly released Grand Jury report levels new accusations against her.

That Grand Jury report released late yesterday largely blames auditor controller Karen Paz Dominguez for what it calls the county’s quote – fiscal chaos.

Grand Jurors say the county has suffered 2.3 million dollars in losses and has 9.7 million dollars more at risk. The scathing report cites what it calls ‘significant deficiencies’ in the performance of Ms. Paz Dominguez. But at a news conference late this afternoon the auditor-controller responded to those findings.

She says the report merely repeats allegations from disgruntled county department heads that are un-supported by evidence she also questioned the timing of the report’s release.

” What I will say is that in the timeline I was provided does not line up with the actions that were taken by the court. The grand jury foreperson, I was directed on Wednesday to not speak of the report until Friday afternoon. Then the report was released on Thursday, providing the press ample opportunity to write about it, discuss it. And I still have to be quiet,” said Karen Paz Dominguez, Humboldt County Auditor-Controller.

While the Grand Jury report was completed and released just ahead of the June 7th election — the Jury foreman says the timing of the release has nothing to do with politics.