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\f0\fs24 \cf0 >> Joanne: WE SHOULD TELL YOU,\ UCAN CONFIRMED ON THEIR WEBSITE\
THEY'RE UNDER FEDERAL\ INVESTIGATION AND RECEIVED A\
\page FEDERAL GRAND JURY SUBPOENA ON\ FEBRUARY 22nd.\
CHARLES LANGLEY AND DAVID PEPPER\ ARE TWO WHO NOTICED THE\
DISCREPANCIES.\ THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.\
>> THANK YOU.\ >> Joanne: WE'RE NOT GETTING\
INTO THE DETAILS OF YOUR\ ALLEGATIONS AGAINST UCAB\
EMPLOYEES OF THOSE IN HIGHER\ SENIOR MANAGEMENT.\
THERE IS NO INDICT.\ AT THIS POINT.\
CHARLES, WHEN YOU FIRST WENT TO\ THE BOARD TO REPORT WHAT YOU\
FELT WAS FINANCIAL\ IMPROPRIETARYS.\
>> I THINK IT WAS APRIL 6th.\ I SENT EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTS OF\
WHAT I FELT WAS INAPPROPRIATE\ ACTIVITY AT UCAN.\
CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL COMPLIANT.\ >> Joanne: DAVID, YOU SENT A\
LETTER TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE\ SAME TIME.\
>> YES MARCH FOURTH, 2010.\ >> Joanne: I KNOW WE HAVE CALLED\
YOU "WHISTLEBLOWERS" BUT THIS\ BEGAN AS CONFIDENTIAL COMPLAINTS\
TO THE BOARD.\ >> WHEN YOU THINK OF A\
WHISTLEBLOWER YOU THINK OF\ SOMEONE GOING PUBLIC.\
WE DIDN'T DO THAT UCAN DID IT\ THEMSELF WHO BY POSTING
A PRESS\ ADVISORY UNANIMOUSLY.\
WE DIDN'T GO TO THE MEDIA, TAKE\ THIS OUTSIDE OF THE FAMILY, WE\
DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS AND DON'T\ WANT UCAN TO DISSOLVE.\
WE DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE\ FOR UCAN TO DISSOLVE AT THIS\
TIME.\ >> Joanne: YOU HAD CONCERNS, YOU\
WENT TO THE BOARD.\ YOU WROTE THEM FORMAL LETTERS.\
WHAT DID THE BOARD SAY TO YOU.\ HOW DID YOU RESPOND?\
>> IT TOOK THEM A COUPLE OF\ \page WEEKS TO RESPOND.\
WHEN THEY DID IT WAS HOPEFUL.\ THEY RETAINED A WELL KNOWN NON\
PROFIT ATTORNEY.\ THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO\
CONDUCT A FULL FORENSIC AUDIT.\ THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THE AUDIT\
NEVER HAPPENED.\ >> Joanne: THEN WHAT HAPPENED,\
YOU WENT TO A LAWYER?\ >> WELL, WE WAITED.\
WE WAITED PATIENTLY FOR SOME\ TYPE OF RESULT FROM THIS, THIS\
INVESTIGATION.\ WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE\
RESULTS OF WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A\ SECRET INVESTIGATION.\
WHAT IS DISTURBING ABOUT THIS IS\ UCAN IS MEMBER FUNDED.\
A 501C3 NON PROFIT THAT ENJOYS\ HUGE TAX ADVANTAGES.\
IN A SENSE ALL TAXPAYERS IN\ CALIFORNIA OWN A PIECE OF UCAN.\
THEY APPEAR TO HAVE SPENT MORE\ THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS\
ON A SECRET INVESTIGATION AND\ THEN SAYING, WELL, EVERYTHING IS\
FINE.\ EVERYTHING IS OKAY.\
>> Joanne: SOME OF THIS IS\ PUBLIC MONEY, PUC PUBLIC UTILITY\
COMMISSION MONEY FUNNELED BACK\ TO UCAN AS WELL.\
>> YES.\ INERVEENER COMPENSATION.\
WHEN YOU HAVE A RATE DECISION\ WITH SDG&E OR A RATE HEARING A\
PORTION OF OUR LEGAL EXPENSES\ ARE REIMBURSED.\
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF\ UCANs REVENUE.\
>> Joanne: THAT MAKES IT PUBLIC\ MONEY.
DAVID, YOU'RE A LAWYER.\ >> YES.\
>> Joanne: BUT YOU WENT TO A\ LAWYER WHEN THE BOARD DIDN'T\
HEAR YOUR COMPLAINTS.\ IS THIS TO SUE THE BOARD OR WHAT\
DID YOU ASK YOUR LAWYER TO DO?\ >> I ASKED MY LAWYER TO\
\page REPRESENT US IN PUSHING THROUGH\ THE INVESTIGATION.\
THERE ARE FORMS WE'RE ASKING\ FOR.\
WE WANT A CLEAN, HONEST,\ TRANSPARENT WATCHDOG.\
ONE THAT LIVES UP TO THE IDEALS\ MANY BELIEVE UCAN STANDS FOR.\
>> Joanne: YOU HAVE BOTH BEEN\ FIRED?\
>> IT DEPENDS ON WHAT VERSION OF\ THE PRESS ADVISORY ON THE\
WEBSITE YOU READ.\ IT HAS REFERRED TO FORMER\
EMPLOYEES, AND THEN CURRENT\ STAFF.\
IT SEEMS TO CHANGE EVERY COUPLE\ OF HOURS.\
>> Joanne: NOW, BOTH OF WERE ON\ THE SHOW LAST WEEK.\
>> HUH-UH.\ >> Joanne: DAVID, YOU WERE HERE\
TO TALK ABOUT SDG&E PROPOSED\ RATE HIKES.\
CHARLES, YOU WERE HERE TO TALK\ ABOUT GAS PRICES.\
NOW A WEEK LATER YOU'RE\ REPRESENTING A AGENCY FOR THE\
CONSUMER, A WATCHDOG AGENCY, NOW\ A WEEK LATER HOW DO YOU FEEL\
KNOWING YOU'RE REPRESENTING AN\ AGENCY YOU HAVE A LOT OF\
CONCERNS ABOUT?\ >> THIS IS DEVASTATING.\
IT'S SOMETHING GOING ON IN THE\ BACKGROUND FOR QUITE AWHILE.\
WE WERE ALWAYS HOPEFUL WE COULD\ CHANGE THINGS AND MAKE THE\
AGENCY SOMETHING GREAT.\ WITH THE DISSOLUTION THAT,\
THAT -- IT'S HEARTBREAKING.\ >> I FEEL REALLY DISTRESSED.\
WE'RE ASKING REALLY SIMPLE\ QUESTIONS.\
HOW MUCH MONEY WAS THERE?\ WHERE DID IT GO?\
HOW WAS IT SPENT?\ IN WHAT ACCOUNTS?\
WHY ARE WE OUT OF MONEY NOW?
I\ ATTENDED A BOARD MEETING ON\
\page DECEMBER 15, 2010 WHERE MICHAEL\ SHAMES ANNOUNCED UCAN
HAD ENOUGH\ MONEY TO GO FOR TWO YEARS\
WITHOUT A PENNY OF FUND RAISING.\ FUND RAISING IS A IMPORTANT\
ASPECT OF MY JOB THERE.\ IT'S VERY DISTURBING WHEN\
SUDDENLY ON THE SAME DAY A GRAND\ JURY SUBPOENA IS ISSUED, THE\
ORGANIZATION DECIDES TO DISSOLVE\ RATTER THAN OPEN UP THEIR BOOKS\
AND SAY HONESTLY THIS IS WHAT IS\ HAPPENING AND WHERE THE MONEY\
WENT.\ >> Joanne: CHARLES AND DAVID,\
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.\ KPBS REACHED OUT TO UCAN BOARD\
MEMBERS BUT DECLINED OUR\ REQUEST.\
MICHAEL SHAMES DECLINED A\ INTERVIEW BUT ISSUED THIS\
STATEMENT:\
>> Joanne: OF
COURSE THAT WAS\ POSTED BY ANONYMOUS ON UCAN'S\
WEBSITE.\ }