Vice Mayor Jason Lee and Councilmember Mario Enríquez responded to allegations that they knowingly misappropriated” $50,000 of Stockton City’s funds.
The city manager’s office confirmed Monday that an internal investigation is underway after $50,000 in public funds were allegedly misused for a local event introduced by Vice Mayor Jason Lee. The funds, which came from Stockton’s Risk Mitigation Fund, were reportedly directed toward the popular Wild ‘N Out event.
City Manager Steve Colangelo didn’t hold back, saying a sitting councilmember, Lee, “facilitated the use of $50,000 toward the event, Wild ‘N Out, without the necessary approval.” But that’s not all. Colangelo also raised red flags about Lee’s behavior behind the scenes.
He revealed concerns “about how Lee engaged with city staff and event promoters,” noting that “lines between policymaking and administration may have been crossed.”
“As a former cast member of the show, I returned and voluntarily participated to help the show’s success and prove that Stockton is ready for this level of quality entertainment,” Lee said in a statement per his Hollywood Unlocked platform. “I received no compensation for my appearance.”
He continued, “Everything related to the Wild ‘N Out entertainment show in May was done above board and followed the current city protocols.”
Lee is pointing the finger at Colangelo.
“Just this week, the City Council’s Audit Committee that I chair discovered that Mr. Colangelo knowingly and intentionally submitted a questionable budget that included the funding of a department that had been previously eliminated—only to then create a department the council did not approve funding for and hire a group of individuals without posting the job listings for competitive review,” he told reporters.
“Transparency is important, ethics is important, and true integrity is important, because we have to ensure that the public has trust in our local government. There’s been too much noise, too much static, distracting us from the work,” Enríquez added.