One of the San Mateo Supervisors alerted me to this story. I plan to speak to him about this and another urgent matter concerning the DA's office within the next few days.

Web Link

The program was previously operated under the direction of former District Attorney Jim Fox, who retired at the end of 2010, according to Steve Wagstaffe, who now holds the post. Wagstaffe said after he was elected to be district attorney he advocated transferring responsibility of the program over to the health department, since it was already in charge of the county's public guardian /conservatorship program.
Wagstaffe said the district attorney's office itself didn't have anything to do with the Public Administrator program, but he plans to investigate how the alleged crimes occurred.

"I want to know where was the fall down on that," Wagstaffe said.
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I don't believe that Wagstaffe didn't have anything to do with the Public Administrator program. [Portion removed - generalized attack.]

When you hit top-level positions, as Wagstaffe has, when people in your organization have committed significant malfeasance, you take the fall. This is especially true when it was your responsibility to detect the malfeasance but you didn't.

THESE THEFTS WERE DETECTED JUST DAYS AFTER WAGSTAFFE TRANSFERRED RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Why couldn't he detect them?

It's time for him to go. He's not a manager.

I have been told by another San Mateo Supervisor that Wagtaffe is a very weak manager.

But it's worse than that: he cannot ever admit that he made a mistake. He cannot admit that his prosecutors have made a mistake. To the public, he will deny that he and/or his prosecutors have committed misconduct. [Portion remove. Terms of use. Don't allege criminal conduct unless criminal charges have been filed or there has been a conviction.]

In the Mercury News story, Wagstaffe said the district attorney's office itself didn't have anything to do with the Public Administrator program".

Huh? The program was OPERATED by the DA's office. Why wasn't he overseeing it?

I don't know if the FBI agents who were investigating Wagstaffe in 2011 are involved in this investigation, but I have sent them this news story.

It would have been nice if Steve Wagstaffe had discovered and prosecuted his employees.

The Supervisors of San Mateo County are responsible for the oversight of the District Attorney's Office.

Lurker said,
"I have been told by another San Mateo Supervisor that Wagtaffe is a very weak manager."
I'm not sure that Don Horsley's opinion is that important on this issue.
It's not about being a weak or strong manager, It's about being an honest and ethical manager and enforcing the law.

This illegal conduct was discovered almost instantly once turned over from the District Attorney's Office.

This is what we get without oversight.

Many others (including lawyers) have cited Wagstaffe's weak to non-existent managerial skills.

I've done my part, I've asked the Board of Supervisors to investigate Steve Wagstaffe for other issues......3 e-mails to prove it.

I'm putting in a request this week.

Other than rants by Stogner and few anonymous posters, Steve Wagstaffe is well respected.

Perspective says,

"Other than rants by Stogner and few anonymous posters, Steve Wagstaffe is well respected."

I'd like to point out that Perspective is an anonymous poster, and Steve Wagstaffe is well respected by some. Not all, this is a specific thread about employees under his oversight, that committed crimes.

Wagstaff has a history of being very reluctant to enforce laws as they apply to elected and appointed officials -a really cozy boys' club.