By Ryann Grochowski | inewsource

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner accused City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and several city council members of taking bribes in the form of campaign donations from hotel owners interested in keeping the proposed hotel occupancy tax alive, but an inewsource review of contributions shows the mayor exaggerated his claims.

The “tens of thousands of dollars” Filner asserted were far less than that, according to an analysis ... Read More »

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By Claire Trageser and Ryann Grochowski | KPBS/inewsource Investigations Desk

Employees of the city of Chula Vista can earn an extra $100 a year if they pass a test showing they’re bilingual. Firefighters and police officers in Coronado get $775 and $850 a year, respectively, to spend on their uniforms. And National City police officers get an extra 7 hours of overtime a week for taking care of their police dogs.

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By Kelly Paice | inewsource

In a surprising turn of events in the San Diego Hospice bankruptcy case Wednesday, the attorneys for the hospice and its creditors approached the judge side-by-side agreeing to work together on selling the hospice’s most valuable asset, its Hillcrest property.

The unsecured creditors’ legal counsel formally withdrew its motion to appoint an independent trustee to the case, a third party who would ... Read More »

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By Kelly Paice | inewsource

San Diego Hospice faces off today in bankruptcy court with its creditors to determine whether a third party will step in and take over management of its remaining assets.

It’s a drama that’s been playing out for weeks in motions filed in court. The unsecured creditors, who are owed money but don’t have collateral, claim they can’t trust the hospice to act in their interest. ... Read More »

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by Brad Racino | inewsource

A North County Transit District audit has confirmed, among other things, deficiencies in the training records of its security officers.

The audit was prompted by an inewsource expose last month, which raised concerns about how prepared the private security officers are who patrol the agency’s trains and stations.

The audit confirmed many of our findings, including:

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By the KPBS/inewsource Investigations Desk

For the first time, the United States government has confirmed it is owed millions of dollars by San Diego Hospice.

In court documents filed today, the U.S. Attorney, on behalf of Medicare, joined a motion to appoint a trustee, a third party, to take over the remaining assets of San Diego Hospice.

The government also declared intent to file a claim against the hospice for ... Read More »

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By Kelly Paice | inewsource

Earlier this week the KPBS and inewsource Investigations Desk learned about concerns regarding patient care at San Diego Hospice. It was the first indication the troubled hospice had more than money problems.

A further analysis of inspection records obtained through the federal Freedom of Information Act found San Diego Hospice was visited by government inspectors at least 15 times in 2011 and 2012. During this two-year period, there were multiple ... Read More »

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by Brad Racino | inewsource

Security guards who patrol San Diego’s train stations and trolleys have told inewsource that their employer — Universal Protection Service — has met their concerns about safety with hostility. One officer said he left the company as a direct result.

inewsource raised serious questions about public safety, officer safety and contract oversight of the county’s transit system in an investigation last month. ... Read More »

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