City Councilwoman Treasure Ortiz is facing criminal charges for allegedly eavesdropping on and recording confidential communications of San Bernardino police, officials announced Thursday.
According to San Bernardino County prosecutors, Ortiz violated state law when she allegedly used an electronic amplifying and recording device to eavesdrop on and record San Bernardino Police Department personnel. Her arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 19, city officials said.
Ortiz filed a federal lawsuit against the city seeking more than $2 million in damages for what she claims was an illegal search of the CLETS law enforcement database in March 2019 by a San Bernardino police detective. The lawsuit contends information from the database about Ortiz was shared with her political opponent.
Officials said an independent investigator hired by the city has confirmed that no one conducted an illegal search of the CLETS system, which is regulated and audited each year by the state Attorney General’s Office.
Based on the independent investigation, Mayor Helen Tran and City Council members characterized Ortiz’s lawsuit “as a complete misrepresentation of the facts and an unfair disparagement of City employees and officials in an attempt to obtain millions in taxpayer dollars from the City,” according to the statement Thursday.
Stephen Larson is representing the city in the Ortiz lawsuit.
“After receiving Councilmember Ortiz’s claim, the City engaged a highly qualified, experienced, and independent firm to review and investigate the allegations and found them to be entirely unfounded,” Larson said in a statement. “The independent investigation found that any criminal background searches as alleged in the claim were conducted in strict accordance with the law, a fact confirmed by official audits. The City believes that Councilmember Ortiz’s allegations of wrongdoing are factually and legally baseless and will be exposed as such in court.”
Ortiz and the county DA’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“This was not an easy decision, this was not something I take lightly and it certainly isn’t something intended to harm the city, which I’m devoted to serve,” Ortiz said in a social media video announcing her lawsuit. “This is about accountability, transparency and ensuring no resident is ever illegally targeted for daring to speak out.”
Ortiz filed her lawsuit in November in the U.S. Court for the Central District of California.
