Posted on 05/19/2004 8:22:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - The state will drop all charges against the only former Davis administration official criminally prosecuted as a result of the state's since-rescinded six-year, $95 million no-bid contract with Oracle Corp. nearly two years ago.
Former Gov. Gray Davis' policy director, Kari Dohn, was charged in March with 12 felonies alleging she altered evidence during the subsequent investigation into the contract.
But two newly assigned prosecutors and veteran criminal attorneys reviewed the case and decided there wasn't enough evidence, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Tuesday.
"Upon further review, the insufficiency of the evidence has persuaded me that it would be unjust to pursue the case any further," Lockyer said in a statement.
Dohn, who had said she was innocent, was alleged to have falsified her computerized schedule and internal progress reports six times relating to the contract after a legislative committee had launched an investigation. Though the charges didn't include specifics, previous indications are those modifications included removing appointment calendar references to contacts with Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison.
The 22-month investigation found no criminal wrongdoing by others, including Oracle, the former governor, who was recalled by voters last fall, or by four top appointees Davis fired during the probe, Lockyer said in March when he announced the charges against Dohn.
"Kari Dohn always knew that she would be exonerated because she was innocent," said her attorney, Allen Ruby. "It's welcome news that she was exonerated this early in the process."
Davis, through a spokesman, called the decision "wonderful news" for Dohn, while Dohn, in a statement, said she "always knew I did nothing wrong, and have always felt completely confident that the justice system would exonerate me." An Oracle spokeswoman said the company would not comment.
Lockyer's investigation followed a series of public legislative hearings into the Oracle database software contract.
The contract originally was touted as a way for the state to save money through volume software purchases, but the state auditor concluded it would cost taxpayers as much as $41 million more than if the state had relied on previous suppliers. The state and Oracle had said the contract would save the state $16 million. The contract was eventually dropped.
Davis became embroiled because Oracle lobbyist Ravi Mehta handed the Democratic governor's computer adviser, Arun Baheti, a $25,000 campaign contribution six days after the expedited contract signing.
The governor denied knowledge of the contract, the contribution, or any contact with Ellison. Lockyer previously said his investigation showed the contract talks were flawed by "haste and incompetence," but no criminal behavior resulting from the campaign contributions or political influence.
The charges alleged Dohn made three modifications soon after the Legislature's audit committee began its Oracle hearings in April 2002: two on the day after she testified at a May 6, 2002, committee hearing; and one on May 14, 2002 - a day after the committee filed a request with the governor's office seeking documents related to the contract.
Legislative investigators suggested Dohn altered an appointment calendar to remove references to Ellison before submitting it to the committee.
Lockyer said his investigators spent "tens of thousands of hours" interviewing 70 witnesses and reviewing 34 file boxes full of documents along with the contents of 40 computer hard drives and 151 computer compact disks from 11 state agencies.
The state will formally move to dismiss the charges against Dohn on Wednesday in Sacramento Superior Court, Lockyer said.
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On the Net:
Attorney general's office: www.ag.ca.gov
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Oh.
OK.
I feel much better now. Nothing to see here.
zzzzzz.
Sac Bee's whack at it ..
Lockyer drops case against Davis aide / Dohn was accused of altering papers linked to Oracle contract.
Ping a Ding...
Rob a liquor store get five years in jail.
Just go into politics, get out of jail free ! ! !
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