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Michael Allen
By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
State Assembly candidate Michael Allen is facing a second investigation related to his consulting work for the Sonoma County Water Agency, this time for allegations of plagiarism and whether Allen completed the work he was hired to perform.
The “compliance review” led by the Sonoma County Auditor is the result of concerns brought to county supervisors by a Santa Rosa woman who volunteered for Lee Pierce, who also is seeking the 7th District Assembly seat being vacated by Noreen Evans.
Allen declined numerous requests for comment this week.
John Whitehurst, his San Francisco-based campaign consultant, issued a statement in which he said “desperate candidates” are “perpetrating lies and slander” against Allen.
The county’s probe is the second investigation into Allen’s contracts with the Water Agency when he was working as a housing consultant.
The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission also is conducting an inquiry to determine whether he violated conflict-of-interest laws while he was a member of the Santa Rosa Planning Commission.
That probe centers on Allen’s vote in August to approve an overhaul of the city general plan that changed the land-use designation for property owned by the Water Agency. Allen at the time was under contract to the water agency to lobby for that change in the general plan designation.
Roman Porter, the FPPC’s executive director, said the state investigation is ongoing and he could not provide a estimate of when it will be completed.
The county probe wrapped up Tuesday and could be released as early as Wednesday. County supervisors, who will review the findings, could decide to take action, including seeking reimbursement from Allen if they determine he did not fulfill his contractual obligations.
The three contracts at the center of the inquiry, including one in which Allen hired a subcontractor to assist in developing a master plan for property owned by the Water Agency on West College Avenue, totaled $119,500.
The plagiarism concerns stem from a 2005 contract in which the Water Agency hired Allen to investigate employee housing projects, prepare a draft employee housing plan and conduct outreach efforts to solicit input on that proposed plan.
Allen included references to the work of Daniel Hoffman, a Philadelphia-based housing consultant who conducted pioneering work on employer-assisted housing — a term Hoffman coined when he was with Rutgers University.
On March 19, Hoffman sent a letter to county water officials outlining his concerns that Allen may have used some of his ideas without attribution. He also questioned why Allen would use the information given that it was a decade old.
“There wasn’t much of him in the work product,” Hoffman said in an interview this week. “It was copies of the stuff from various institutions and my article, which was a framing device for that.”
Hoffman said if he were a water agency official, he’d question whether he’d gotten his money’s worth.
In response, Allen’s campaign forwarded an e-mail to The Press Democrat that Hoffman sent to Allen on March 29.
In that message, Hoffman told Allen that after he had reviewed the entire 92-page report that Allen submitted to the Water Agency, Hoffman found nothing “improper or unethical in how you used the material.”
“I want to take this opportunity to put this issue to rest,” Hoffman wrote.
Instead, the county in early April launched its investigation not only into that contract, but into Allen’s entire body of work for the Water Agency.
The request came from County Counsel Steven Woodside on behalf of Water Agency officials, who Woodside said were concerned about “potential irregularities” with the contracts.
Rod Dole, the county’s auditor, said it’s unusual for such requests to be made with such formality.
“Obviously, since the request was made in writing, we made the response in writing,” he said.
That formality may speak to the sensitivities of an investigation that involves a political candidate only a few weeks away from the June 8 primary.
Allen’s campaign has repeatedly accused Pierce and his operatives of engaging in dirty politics, despite Pierce’s public statements that he wants to run a clean campaign.
The genesis of the county’s probe is likely to add more fuel to the fire.
Concerns about Allen’s contracts were brought to the attention of county supervisors by Victoria Hogan, a retired government employee who lives in Santa Rosa.
Hogan said she met individually with Supervisors Valerie Brown, Paul Kelley and Efren Carrillo to urge action on the reports.
She also contacted Hoffman in regard to Allen citing the expert’s work in his report to the Water Agency.
Hogan said she first requested information from the Water Agency in December, when she was working on behalf of Pierce. She said she has since moved on from the Pierce campaign.
Hogan downplayed her role in Pierce’s campaign, saying that she was simply a volunteer on occasion. But Pierce this week said he sometimes referred to her as his campaign manager. State campaign finance records show that he reimbursed Hogan for nearly $900 in travel-related campaign expenses in 2009 According to Pierce, Hogan was owed $571.17, of which Pierce has paid $250, leaving a balance owed of $321.17.
Hogan acknowledged looking into Allen’s background when he was a candidate for city council and she was working for Pierce’s campaign in that race. Both Allen and Pierce lost their bids for council seats.
Hogan said her efforts in regard to Allen have not been politically motivated.
“I care about good government, and who gets elected and who is serving in public office,” she said. “There isn’t a whole lot of vetting going on anymore.”
Asked who she will be voting for in the June primary, Hogan, a registered Democrat, said, “Anybody but Mr. Allen.”
Pierce on Tuesday said he remembers having conversations with Hogan related to Allen’s Water Agency contracts. But he said he hasn’t made the ongoing investigations into those contracts issues in the campaign, saying he doesn’t think it is “appropriate.”
“I think when you’re in a contest like this, you should be focused on the issues of the day that people in this district and around California care about,” he said.
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I’ve known Lee Pierce for 20 years and I am voting for him. He is a great guy.
It is interesting to note the comments made by a vitriolic few when asked who they were voting for, “anybody but ………”
I am so glad I don’t have to just vote against any candidate.
I can proudly vote FOR great leadership with integrity! MICHAEL ALLEN
—– Original Message —–
From: Dan Hoffman
To: vlh@sonic.net
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: Replacement Image
Well the pot is certainly aboil. I still don’t fully understand the timing. But:
1) if the 5 pager was submitted first and without any attribution to me that was wrong and pretty much plagiarism.
2) the value of the memo is not much (I don’t quite get how much he received for this piece as opposed to others).
3) Regarding the 92 page report, in which my article was reprinted along with a compilation of a bunch of other stuff all of which was clearly not his work product, I don’t have a problem with that. This is not to say however, that the document is worth much to anyone trying to figure out what to do with the property in question, or trying to figure out an employer-assisted housing strategy/policy either for some set of public employees or a program that also attracts private employers.
Dan Hoffman
EAHousing.com
STREET ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND E-MAIL ADDRESS REDACTED BY SITE MODERATOR
The audit has now cleared Michael Allen and the author who was allegedly “plaigerized” has declared (again) that he WAS CITED CORRECTLY and wants to put the matter to rest. That’s not enough for the Pierce campaign and others who wish to continue their character assassination of a good man. Now they declare the Water Agency is crooked! When will the false accusations and mudslinging end? When is it enough already? I have seen some dirty politicking in my time but this takes the cake. Ms Hogan and the Lee Pierce Camapign are starting to look like something out of Les Miserables.
Victoia Hogan can make anything sound dirty. The email she sent (which she obviously obtained unethically) simply restates the fact the the audit findings show that the Water Agency got what they paid for (in fact Mr Allen underbilled them by 9,000) and that he credited source material. The dirt she keeps thowing on behalf of Lee Pierce’s campaign doesn’t stick. The memo predicts that the PD will turn a positive result negative and exhorts supporters to write letters to the editor and keep campaigning in the face of her lies, dirty tricks and the PD’s biases. Does Ms Hogan think that is highly unusual for a campaign memo? I am sure her orchestrated hate and dirty tricks campaign against Mr Allen uses the same kind of strategy. In fact I see it on these boards every day. I knew that when this audit cleared Mr Allen it would not end the lies and mudsliging. Ms Hogan knows that her candidate Lee Pierce has nothing else to contribute to the policial landscape but character assasination.
The headline should be \Allen continues to be cleared despite smear campaign!\ Come on.. this is a vendetta and the PD is being used. This is not news. It takes most of the article to get to……….
\In that message, Hoffman told Allen that after he had reviewed the entire 92-page report that Allen submitted to the Water Agency, Hoffman found nothing “improper or unethical in how you used the material.”
Mr. Allen presented Mr. Hoffman’s work as his own without credting Mr. Hoffman. The powers that be at the SCWA did not examine Mr. Allen’s work as their objectives were acheived by his “conflict of interst” vote on the Planning Commission.
Seems the SCWA has their own conflict of interest problem. Whi do they work for-the rate payers or the politicians they pay $100K without accountability. And the rates are going up 9% this year.
Mr. Allen is not the politician I want representing me in Sacramento.
The following comment from Victoria has been altered by the site moderator. I removed the actual e-mail addresses from the post but left the names of people who were listed in the post.
The Press Democrat will obtain a copy of the audit report and post a story to the site later today.
Ted
Lisa Maldonado gave you the highly edited version of the conclusion. Here is a more complete version. Beware of preemptive strikes with spin from the Allen Team over the next couple of days. I’m very much looking forward to reading the full report. It looks to me like the report documents missing reports and unauthorized changes in the scope of work in addition to plagiarism.
Conclusion:
Based on our discussions with Agency staff they indicated that although issues have been identified, the Agency is satisfied with the work and documentation provided by Mr. Allen, and the progress that has been made with the employee housing program.
Based on our procedures and related results, the Agency received all documents as described in the Scope of Work for the Agreements with Mr.Allen, except three (see results I.1b, I.2b and I.2d) . A document written by Daniel Hoffman was included as Exhibit 5 of the report titled California Public Sector Employer Assisted Housing Programs, provided for task 1, it contained source information. The contract between the Agency and Mr. Allen did not prohibit Mr.Allen from using the work or ideas of others. The report on Employee Housing Program Alternatives prepared by Mr. Allen included language from Mr. Hoffman’s report which had previously been provided to the Agency, this subsequent report did not identify Mr. Hoffman’s document as the source. We identified one change in scope, which was not properly authorized by the Agency’s General Manager or Chief Engineer.”
Allen Truthiness:
This evening Assembly Candidate Michael Allen sent out an “alert” to his “team” claiming that the Sonoma County Audit Report on his work found “no plagiarism” but as the previous post demonstrates, that’s not exactly what the report says. Allen also says that “Lisa” (that would be Lisa Maldonado) “Stephen” (that would be Stephen Gale the Chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party and “Ben” (that would be Ben Boyce)have a strategy to send letters and post here on the PD website. So folks…you are all just part of the plan. See below:
— On Wed, 5/19/10, Michael Allen wrote:
From: Michael Allen
Subject: Allen Team alert 2 Audit- overall no plagiarism and Agency satisfied with the work
To: “‘Jo Anne Cohn’” , “‘Helen Ross’” , “‘Jill Nelson’” , “‘John Whitehurst’” , “‘Sharon Macklin’” , “‘Lisa Maldonado’” , “‘Jack Buckhorn’” , “‘Nick Caston’”
Cc: “Matt Pope”, “‘Tracy Krumpen’” , “‘kay woodson’” , “‘Stephen Gale’” , “‘Guy Conner’” , “‘David Grabill’” , “‘Dennis Rosatti’” , “Rick Meechan” , “Noreen Evans”, “‘Ben Boyce’” , “‘Gary Wysocky’”
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 10:05 PM
Friends- the Press Democrat will find a way to make this positive report from the County Auditor seem negative. We need to continue walking, calling, and raising money. The Best Revenge is Victory!!!! We will continue carpet bombing with our great mail program, and out work and out smart our opposition. Just got back from Sacramento , and we continue to garner support and encouragement from every quarter….. Lisa, Stephen and Ben are encouraging our friends to send letters and post on the PD Web site…Michael
“Conclusion:
Based on our discussions with Agency staff they indicated that although issues have been identified, the Agency is satisfied with the work and documentation provided by Mr. Allen, and the progress that has been made with the employee housing program.
Based on our procedures and related results, the Agency received all documents as described in the Scope of Work for the Agreements with Mr.Allen, except three (see results I.1b, I.2b and I.2d) . A document written by Daniel Hoffman was included as Exhibit 5 of the report titled California Public Sector Employer Assisted Housing Programs, provided for task 1, it contained source information. The contract between the Agency and Mr. Allen did not prohibit Mr.Allen from using the work or ideas of others. The report on Employee Housing Program Alternatives prepared by Mr. Allen included language from Mr. Hoffman’s report which had previously been provided to the Agency, this subsequent report did not identify Mr. Hoffman’s document as the source. We identified one change in scope, which was not properly authorized by the Agency’s General Manager or Chief Engineer.”
Mr Allen was not prohibited from using source work of others…
Please email the report to me at
info@santarosaneighborhoodcoalition.com
Lisa- could you please make sure the report gets to Rosa so she can post it on her website along side her allegations?
After all, she’s the one encouraging people to “Read it and decide if that’s the kind of person you want to elect to public office.” (Watchsonomacounty forum, March 28th, at 1:45pm)
Just read the Auditor-Controller’s Review Report by Rod Dole. From the Summary of Results : ” the Agency is satasified with the work performed and documentation provided by Mr. Allen”
It also states that “Mr Allen was not prohibited from using source work of others” (hello, it was a survey of literature on housing)and that the report “contained source information”
Rose and Victoria you can apologize anytime you like for your mistake.
When this report comes out clearing Michael Allen, will you post that on your website also? Fairs fair.
Plagiarism? Did I miss something? Did Derek Moore miss something? What document had “plagiarism” written on it?
The PD’s hatchet job on Michael Allen continues, aided by Lee Pierce’s campaign manager Victoria Hogan and Rose Koire. These people will stop at nothing to destroy someone who advocates for working families and low income housing and other progressive causes. I am not suprised at the PD’s shoddy journalism (if the author Mr Hoffman has declared after seeing BOTH reports that he was properly credited and not plaigerized, why did Mr Moore report it and why does Ms Koire keep repeating it as a lie?)
I am assuming it has something to do with mail in ballots being dropped this week and more to do with the well known saying “a lie can get half way around the world before the truth can put it’s shoes on” Luckily Michael Allen has over thirty years working for labor, progressive causes,and the environment and many friends, colleagues and allies who know his character and record…meanwhile Ms Koire has…an anonymous faux “community” website full of hate and lies….good luck with that Rose. I would also like to suggest that Mr Moore and the PD revisit a basic reporting class. It’s considered bad form to print rumours and innuendo in real journalism.
The Story:
Michael Allen submitted a 92 page report composed of Mr. Hoffman’s paper and some articles. Michael Allen gave credit for that report to Hoffman and others, and Allen was paid. That report was shown to Hoffman and he said it was ok, but it didn’t look like the County got their money’s worth since there wasn’t much of Allen in it.
On a later contract Allen again submitted Hoffman’s work, a 5 page article, but didn’t give him credit, added some minor things and submitted it for payment, pretending it was his. Allen was paid for someone else’s work and didn’t give him credit. On that contract Hoffman said ‘Plagarism.’
Plagarism. Paid for with your money.
Poor Michael Allen? Decent? Trustworthy? Not. I agree with ‘Anyone But Allen.’
Take a look at the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition website (click on my name above) for the proof–a link to a website with the two documents; Hoffman’s and Allen’s. You’ll see for yourself. His spin-sters will say anything to divert you from the truth.
Michael Allen was paid by the Water Agency to lobby the City of Santa Rosa while he sat on the Santa Rosa Planning Commission–and voted on the very thing he was paid to lobby for. Proof on our website. His own bills and contracts.
Michael Allen submitted someone else’s work for payment and was paid. Plagarism.
His paid pals are on this site trying to do damage control but…too late. He shouldn’t have done it if he didn’t want to be caught.
Another PD hatchet job on Michael Allen. Have they no shame, at last?
This kind of fabricated story, in which the PD serves as a willing accomplice in a malicious campaign smear job by a political opponent’s staff, is why so many of us don’t trust the PD as a source for real news on local politics. This is a non-story that has been elevated to an Empire News top-of-the-fold page one feature. The article deconstructs the claim even within the body of the article itself, on the back page. So why was this printed at all, let alone given such prominent placement? The ‘hot seat’ was manufactured by Lee Pierce’s campaign staff, and then distributed, free of charge, by the PD. This is yellow journalism at its worst. I am disgusted by this aiding and abetting of the worst type of campaign dirty tricks. Shame on everyone who had a hand in this nasty hit on a decent man.
I am confident that the voters will see through this transparent attempt to fix the election. One thing is for sure: when Michael Allen is serving in the Assembly, he will owe no favors to the PD.
Noah says \The photograph they printed-was it photo-shopped to increase redness?\
There was a lot of redness but the photo in the newspaper was flattering to Allen. The photo and photographer are not political. I’ve known several people who’ve had their photos taken recently and no one’s happy with the \high def\ close ups. It’s the equipment.
If the Professor who wrote the paper allowed the citation, how can there be a plagiarism problem?
The report will come out, Michael Allen will be cleared, and the Press Democrat will gloss over the findings. Everyone on here who hates Michael will disappear and come up with a new attack.
And Michael is NOT a “magnet for controversy”, he is a magnet for one woman’s vindictive witch hunts.
Makes me sick.
Enviro Dem
But the Water Agency, the County Auditor and the County Attorney are not \republican\ or \democrat\. Supervisor Kelley wasn’t the only one seeking this, so there’s no need to single him out.
This political audit was solicited in part by a Republican politician, Paul Kelly…no chance it was done other than to embarrass a good Democrat like Michael Allen. Nothing to wait for, the point wasn’t to find him innocent or guilty, the point was for the conservatives to attack a Democrat with taxpayer money.
It would be wise to wait for the audit report before going postal. The facts are still important. The Water Agency itself asked for the audit. There must have been a reason.
Where there’s smoke there’s fire.
If Allen can’t explain why his reports we all paid for are not borrowed from a true expert, then why is he running for the legislature? He’s hiding behind his campaign manager who is making accusations based on what exactly? The state and the county aren’t investigating any of the other candidates. Allen is a magnet for controversy.
The Press Democrat should review Derek Moore’s journalism credentials and ethics.
The photograph they printed-was it photo-shopped to increase redness?
The P.D. should publish facts, not innuendo. The trail of “information” from Pierce to Hogan to conservative supervisors has a tainted odor.
I should vote for Allen on that basis alone! But I know him, and the treatment he’s receiving here doesn’t add up to my experience of him. I think this is a political hatchet job, and the P.D. has done this before, with others.
I am glad to have this forum, but I sure wish we had an honest local paper.
The question before us is whether or not Michael Allen did the things that he is accused of period. People don’t care who blew the whistle on Mr. Allen they care if Michael Allen if fit to work on the behave of all the citizens of the Seventh Assembly District. Mr. Allen has not given voters a creatable answer as to why, while under contract with the Sonoma County Water Agency, he voted on behave of the people of Santa Rosa to make changes to public policy in favor of his client. Mr. Pierce has not been accused of receiving money from clients while he served on the Santa Rosa City Council and if he did he should called out for it. Michael Wilson has not been accused of faking a work product and if he did he should be called out. Michael Allen could accuse Mr. Pierce and Mr. Wilson of anything but accusation alone would get them under investigation from the State of Californian and the County of Sonoma. The facts presented to authorities are the reason Mr. Allen is under investigation. The Press Democrat smells blood in the water and will not let this story die. If someone accused you of betrayal and thievery would you attack the accuser or the facts. With out the facts to back Mr. Allen’s claims of innocents he looks sure looks guilty and the Press Democrat is going for the kill.
A new day a new smear campaign reported by the PD, instigated by Ms. Hogan. How do you think Mr. Hoffman even got the idea that his work was used without citation? Who might have contacted him? Hmmm……
Hey, Derek, there’s also the Case of the Photos of Kids but No Releases, referring to photos of kids from a daycare in Allen’s campaign literature. I’m sure your Deep Throat contact can put you on the right track.
Or, the Case of Mr. Allen Referring to Himself as an RN, when he really isn’t!
Save us!
Desperation is an ugly thing.
So the paid campaign volunteer for Pierce took half truths to the republican and conservative members of the board who pushed a politically motivated taxpayer funded witch hunt…too bad we can’t vote out Kelly, Brown and Carrillo, but at least we can elect Allen who will bring integrity to the position.
So let me get this right, the guy is on record saying there is no issue after reading the report. The findings of this come out tomorrow, and the PD is reporting on it today?
What’s the matter Derek? Worried if the report comes out stating nothing improper occurred you wouldn’t be able to attack Michael Allen?