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Gilbert Cedillo, Jr., via his Facebook page
By Brian Hews and Brian Hews
It pays to have the name Gilbert Cedillo in Los Angeles political inner circles these days.
This past week, Gilbert Cedillo, Sr. was sworn in as a new member of the Los Angeles City Council, a job that will land the former Sacramento legislator around $200,000 annually in salary and retirement benefits.
For Gilbert Cedillo, Jr., the 20-something year old off spring of the political figure, it is paying dividends as well.
Records obtained by Hews Media Group – Community News show that taxpayers have paid more than $22,000 so Cedillo can complete his college education at the Christian based Azusa Pacifica University in the East San Gabriel Valley area.
Cedillo Jr. was taking 39 units during four terms at Azusa Pacific during the 2012- 13 years to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership/Applied Management.
During that time, Cedillo also worked as the Business Development Manager for Central Basin Water District in Commerce and earned more that $110,000 annually.
According to General Manager Tony Perez, Cedillo Jr. has not been to work for several months but has still been collecting his salary.
Copies of checks written to Azusa Pacific University on behalf of Cedillo, Jr., show that former CBMWD General Manager Art Aguilar authorized and approved the payments.
Sources told HMG-CN that Aguilar, with Cedillo, Sr. and Calderon’s approval, was attempting to groom Cedillo Jr. to be the next CBMWD General Manager.
Cedillo Jr., wrote on his initial application form that he wanted “to continue my education and learn the most effective methods at becoming a great leader and manager.”
“I will also be fulfilling the terms and conditions of my employment by enrolling in this program per GM Art Aguilar’s requirement. The start date is July 24, 2012,” Cedillo Jr. stated in the Professional Development Authorization application.
Cedillo said that his anticipated graduation date is in October 2013.
The Documents also indicate that Dina Hidalgo, a Human Resources Manager with CBMWD assisted Cedillo Jr., with his application process back in August of 2012.
Hidalgo states in a memo dated August 13, 2013 that it is part of the “conditions of employment for Gil Cedillo, Jr., at the time he was hired for Business Development Manager position on April 18, 2011…he would pursue and complete a Bachelor’s degree in a related area of study to fulfill the requirements of the position.”
Aguilar is also a long time personal friend of the Cedillo’s and the Calderon’s dating back several decades. Aguilar left in 2012 and since then, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been zeroing on the embattled agency.
Azusa Pacific University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Perez would not get into the specifics about the current employment status of Cedillo, Jr., during a phone interview last week “I have no comment about Mr. Cedillo, Jr., other than I am currently reviewing his employment situation at this time.”
HMG-CN has learned from several sources that FBI investigators are currently interviewing several key officials at the Commerce based agency.
Last month, FBI officials raided the Sacramento offices of California State Senator Ronald Calderon of Montebello and hauled away boxes of potential evidence in the growing probe.
Holy CR_P! This place is a train wreck. What’s next, will this water agency be bailing people out of jail with rate payer monies? Is this even legal to pay 100% of an employees education without even requiring that they provide passing grades? Does this mean his tuition was prepaid? What if he quit or was fired during that period when he was taking classes? Would the district also pay for someone to take his tests?
I know, stupid questions…it’s just part of our water bill. Let’s face it, we pay for these government employee’s medical bills, braces, lasix, RX’s, gym memberships (with a doctor’s note probably)…this is sickening and must stop!
Let this boy go work for Daddy -One Bill Gil! Stupid Stupid Voters!!!!
I have been following One Bill Gil for years. He is one of the worst and most corrupt in the Stinkramento legislature. Something like this is par for the course with him! One of the HIGHEST paid retarded liberal democrat illegal alien lovers in the legislature and this slime bucket greaser could NOT afford 22,000 dollars? But this is what ya get with SINGLE party dictatorial rule .. you get the government you deserve and NOT what ya want! He needs to be prosecuted and removed from office! Then and TARRED and FEATHERED!
Are you a retarded also? First have the balls to identified yourself. Secondly, you write and you don’t have more facts on your statement. Third if that its true the FED’S will due their job. PERIOD!
If you bull sheeting or hiding because you are a supporter from Mr. FAKE CANDIDATE JOSE GARDEA well recognize that and show who you are. He lost and its over. If you advocated investigation its your right we are tax payers as well. But do not hide your name and reputation behind so many words that show who you are also a RETARDED with some other mental issues.
Thanks
Antonio P. Sanchez
Community Activist
Finally this scam makes the news. $10,000 a month this agency pays this hotshot to look down his nose at the rest of us. He comes to work around 10am, leaves at 11:30 for lunch until about 2-2:30 and then leaves around 4pm. During his working hours he’s on his cell phone in top secret conversations. It is not far that no one has called him out. He was Art Aguilar’s pet and I don’t think Dave Hill even knew he was in the building. Chuck Fuentes didn’t do anything with him and at least the new GM has removed him from the building…apparently with full pay and benefits of course. Why? And where were our two new crimefighters Big Game James Roybal and Luscious Leticia Vasquez when they decided to start chopping heads around here? Wonder who ordered them not to touch the Golden Boy? Perhaps someone from Pasadena who donates $$$$ to them knows. These people are all crooks!
What Junior was good for was to sit on panels and make people rich. For some reason Mr. Executive would evaluate would-be vendors for the district and award the chosen few lucrative contracts. He was a yes man, obviously fearless of the implications of being totalling unqualificed to even escape from a cardboard box. The FBI has his number, they know play to play when they see it. Let’s see Daddy find another sucker to hire this retard. Private sector I’d say. Goodbye Junior:)
Randy, where are the other documents you refer to here that refer to Dina Hildago?? I think that we would all be interested in Cedillo Jr.’s “conditions of employment” that he obviously didn’t qualify for. Come on guys, give us something more to laugh about. I think this story should have been called “exteremely highly paid political appointment that required college degree but includes free money to go to college while making college-educated pay so that poitical hack can qualify for the job he wasn’t qualified for in the first place” or maybe “I’m Gil Cedillo’s son so You Owe Me!”
I can’t believe this, good God where are the Basin directors? We deserve better than this, come on Hawkins get your head out of the low-flush and call the DA. I am ashamed to admit I voted for you, never again!
Why are the “One Bill” Gil’s getting all these tax payer paid breaks? I’m working two jobs to help pay for my kid’s college and my kid works too.
Enough already!
Do you really think it stops there? I have heard that one of the spouses was given a job with the ABC school district and able to carry over their years of service from a previous job enabling them to have a better advantage for retirement. Any truth to that?
How did this person get hired to a $110,000 per year job without a college degree in the first place? He was the most qualified? Sounds like a much worse scandal than any contract fixing by the Calderons! I’m glad he’s now gone but hope he (or his supporters) are required to pay back the theft of municipal funds.
Corruption is in their DNA.
Randy this is a decent article in that it identifies corruption, but why not blow it wide open? Why not ask CB staff and Directors what role this guy played at CB? The position isn’t identified on the staff/salaries on their web page (http://www.centralbasin.org/employeeSalaries.html), nor is there a past Board action to inform the public that their staff has increased and is paid the hefty salary. Finally, the CB customer agencies might be interested, as the position idenfied in the article, was never noted in the CB budget… which is funny, because they say he will be let go because the position is not budgeted for next year. Oh and lastly, according to their Code of Conduct/Employee Handbook, employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement, not paid tuition. The tuition reimbursement must be for courses in advancement of the position, not to get a position. Those that seek reimbursement then owe the District two years of service in that position, otherwise they must repay the reimbursement. None of this seems to be addressed in your article.
I was shocked when I read the quotes provided by former General Manager Art Aguilar in the Whittier Daily News. The fact that he admits that he was “grooming” Junior to replace him as GM is absolutely mind blowing. What Aguilar really should have said was that Tom Calderon brought in the most loyal and clueless airhead that he could possibly find to follow his directions without question just like Aguilar had done for so many years.
By the way, I was told that Junior told staff at Central Basin that he failed one semester and that school just wasn’t his “thing”. We all believe that his “administrative leave” was on purpose to allow him to hopefully attain a passing semester. He now plans on taking a leave from Azusa since he know longer has to work at Central.
Also heard that he was taking a job at San Gabriel Valley Water where Tom Calderon has another contract. The feeding never stops.
If Cedillo Jr was being paid while not performing any work, he has a real problem. The Feds are involved and there is a prohibition on such behavior “honest services” doctrine as I recall.
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