A former state executive who funneled money to a client of his wife's consulting firm has agreed to pay a $3,500 fine -- while he works as a retired annuitant for the state.
As first reported by The Bay Citizen, Theodore Park, former Acting Deputy Director of the Real Estate Services Division of the Department of General Services, agreed to pay the fine.
The State Worker has since learned that although Park retired in December with an annual $99,085 state pension, he has returned to the department as a retired annuitant.
"He is temporarily working for us as a staff services manager III," General Services spokeswoman Monica Hassan said this week.
Full-time staff services manager III positions pay from $6,779 to $7,474 per month, according to the state's jobs.ca.gov website. Retired annuitants can work up to 960 hours in a given fiscal year.
FPPC investigators found that Park approved five contracts with Sacramento-based Vanir Construction Management Inc. in 2010.
His wife, Luisa Park, was a partner in Hancock, Gonos and Park, a consulting firm that its website says helps "public and private clients to understand and access state funding programs; work with state agencies," among other things. She had at least a 25 percent stake in Hancock and earned $40,000 from Vanir billings between 2007 and 2011, commission investigators said.
Theodore Park said he was not aware of Hancock's relationship with Vanir "until he first reported Vanir on his annual Statement of Economic Interests for calendar year 2009" filed in late January 2010, according to the FPPC investigation summary.
The commission approved the disciplinary action against Park at its July 12 meeting.
IMAGE: http://www.fppc.ca.gov
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