Longtime SJ School Board Member Sentenced To 60 Days In Jail

SANTA CLARA VALLEY, CA — A longtime San Jose school board member was sentenced Tuesday to serve 60 days in Santa Clara County jail after being convicted of spending money raised for a public school bond measure on himself and then hiding it in required campaign disclosure filings, officials with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office stated in a news release.

Former Franklin-McKinley School District Board of Education member John Lindner, 55, pleaded no contest Feb. 20 to grand theft, perjury and violations of the Political Reform Act.

Prosecutors said Lindner, in his capacity as a school board member, served as the treasurer of a committee that raised money for Measure J. The bond measure was ultimately approved by voters in 2010 to fund improvements for aging schools in the east-side district.

An investigation showed Lindner spent $28,000 of the campaign’s money on airline tickets, lumber and other personal expenses, according to Deputy District Attorney John Chase, who prosecuted the case.

"He also loaned $12,000 of the campaign money to a relative, which was later paid back," Chase said. "To conceal his crime, Lindner filed several false campaign disclosure reports signed under penalty of perjury."

Lindner betrayed the trust of the students and the schools that he was serving, Chase said.

"Jail time reflects the seriousness of stealing from a fund whose purpose was the improvement of education," Chase said.

Lindner resigned from his position on the school board and will be barred from running for public office for the next four years, which Judge Arthur Bocanegra took into consideration when arriving at Lindner's sentence, Chase said.

Lindner was not taken into custody Tuesday, as his sentence was not scheduled to immediately begin, according to Chase.

In a statement emailed to Patch Wednesday afternoon, Lindner said: "I have accepted responsibility for the charges brought against me and apologize again to the Franklin-McKinley School District community for the actions I took. I appreciate the consideration the Court gave in regards to my thirty years of public service in reaching a sentence. I am committed to fulfilling its terms. I have offered my congratulations and best wishes to the successor selected recently by my former board colleagues."

Lindner's seat on the board was filled by Maimona Afzal Berta, according to the district's website.

A district spokeswoman did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment on the matter.

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