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East County News Service
April 21, 2017 (San Diego) – District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis yesterday announced she will retire on July 7th. She is considering running to replace Supervisor Ron Roberts, who is serving his last term due to term limits, according to a letter from Dumanis published by 10 News.
County Supervisors will review the process for appointing a new county District Attorney at its May 2nd meeting. Since Dumanis is retiring before her elected term ends in January 2019, the Board of Supervisors must follow a specific appointment process outlined in County Board policy.
At the May 2 meeting, the Board will approve the application packet, set the application period and candidate requirements, and set dates for public hearings to consider all applicants and subsequent finalists. Supervisors are expected to appoint a new District Attorney prior to Dumanis’ retirement.
Dumanis states, “Serving as District Attorney has been an absolute privilege and one of the highest honors of my professional life. Working as DA alongside an incredibly talented group of professionals for nearly 15 years to deliver justice to the people of San Diego has been a richly rewarding experience. Together, we have been leaders in change and a voice of justice for so many. I'm very proud of the unparalleled crime prevention and public outreach programs we've put in place and our unwavering commitment to supporting victims of crime."
County Democratic Party Chair Jessica Hayes released a statement noting, “Just two days prior to the District Attorney’s resignation announcement, press reports revealed that the DA was a ‘subject of the investigation’ in the Azano corruption saga and had improper contacts regarding the case with the then-U.S. Attorney. The public deserves to know the extent of the District Attorney’s involvement in the Azano corruption scandal, and whether any other personnel in the DA’s office acted improperly.”
Hayes called on Supervisors to launch an independent investigation headed by a special prosecutor into the Office of the District Attorney’s connection with this political corruption scandal and called on anyone seeking an appointment to fill the vacancy until the next election to support an independent investigation into the DA’s role in this political corruption case.
“Because San Diego’s chief law enforcement officer is implicated, an independent investigation is the only way for justice to be served. This is no time for business-as-usual politics,” Hayes concludes. ““It would be a grievous breach of the public’s trust to appoint a new DA until the independent investigation is concluded. The public has the right to know the full extent of the involvement of personnel in the DA’s office with this scandal.”
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