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Fresno County DA Launches Anti-Corruption Task Force

The Fresno County DA is launching a new public integrity Unit to crack down on elected officials and public employees breaking the law. The plan is to investigate complaints about misbehavior from the public.

Through letters, fax and e-mail Fresno County DA Lisa Smittcamp is hoping to ferret out public officials and employees breaking the law.

Smittcamp says the newly formed three-member unit will follow up on complaints of wrong-doing.

“Brown Act violations. Conflicts of interest. Elections violations. Improper use of public funds. Residency issues for candidacy filings. Or statements filed under penalty of perjury,” Smittcamp said.

Smittcamp says the state cannot be expected to keep up with concerns about corruption in Fresno County since Sacramento only has three investigators.

The previous DA established a similar task force, but it is not clear what happened to it or if they caught anyone breaking any laws.

Jeffrey Hess is a reporter and Morning Edition news host for Valley Public Radio. Jeffrey was born and raised in a small town in rural southeast Ohio. After graduating from Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio with a communications degree, Jeffrey embarked on a radio career. After brief stops at stations in Ohio and Texas, and not so brief stops in Florida and Mississippi, Jeffrey and his new wife Shivon are happy to be part Valley Public Radio.