Lake Forest Councilman Adam Nick admits to trying to BRIBE a colleague

I was fortunate to be informed and then watch some interesting video from this week’s council meeting. And I am ABSOLUTELY AMAZED at how this crazy story unfolds . . .

Background

Just 3 days ago on Tuesday, October 6, 2016, Lake Forest Councilman Adam Nick admitted to offering a bribe to a fellow city council member in exchange for her doing him a favor: She would quit.

The woman is former Lake Forest Mayor Kathryn McCullough, the first African American Mayor in Orange County.

Previously, he expressed ill-will toward her by saying on March 4, 2014: “I am looking for a second council member to join me . . . to initiate a discussion about modeling a code of ethics that has teeth, a code of ethics that I can take to the District Attorney and prosecute my colleagues. Basically, I want to be able to hang people here if they break it. I want it to have teeth."

His abusive remarks continued – on June 3, 2014, Adam Nick says, "I reserve a half hour madam, I reserve 2 hours because at least I make sense, unlike you. Put a muzzle on her - put a muzzle on her, Dwight."

You can see that Adam Nick used racist remarks and intimidating behavior toward Kathryn McCullough. This appears to be the motive for Mr. Nick – he just couldn’t handle being in the same room as Kathryn McCullough.

So, Adam Nick at the Lake Forest City Council meeting earlier this week recounts his attempted bribe to Kathryn McCullough from early/spring 2014 - in his own words:

Tuesday, October 4, 2016:

As far as paying Kathy McCullough off, what happened is as I told the reporter, she was an embarrassment to the process – she was. I spoke with Scott Smith, at the time our City Attorney, and I said “Scott, there are a few months left, I would like to offer Kathy the remainder of her salary for the remainder of the year.” This was early or maybe spring of 2014. “I would like her to resign. Uh, would that be ok?”

He said, “That should be fine, but don’t quote me on it yet. Let me do some due diligence but that should be ok.” So, um, as good as he is and as methodical as I am with everything, we followed that up in writing.

I said, “It was nice meeting you and it was nice seeing you for lunch and per out discussion, you think that this is good.”

He said “Yes.”

So I got together with Kathy McCullough and I said “There are a few months left; I am willing to pay you the remainder of this year’s worth of salaries if you just quit because you are an embarrassment.” I looked her in the eye and I said “You are an embarrassment to the process. Because of you, closed sessions take a lot longer than they should and public sessions are just an embarrassment. We don’t get much done because you just don’t follow things, you don’t understand things.”

And she wasn’t happy and, uh, that was the end of that. She did not take me up on my offer.

About a week later, Scott Smith wrote me and said “Adam, I looked into it and actually you cannot do that; that’s against the law.” Uh, I responded that, um, well I actually did offer her – I jumped the gun.” I am impatient, that I can tell you. I said, “I jumped the gun, and offered her but she refused anyways, so no harm done.” And Scott and I left it at that. This was all in writing.

Mrs. McCullough, I told her that she was going to lose re-election. She loses re-election and then she complains to the DA [District Attorney] about me trying to bribe her.

So the DA calls me and uh, he came and paid me a visit at home. I told him exactly what I just told you and he said “Do you happen to have that email correspondence between you and the City Attorney?”

I said, “I do, but given that it is between me and the city attorney, it’s confidential. Will it be ok if I give it to you?”

He said, “Well, yeah, given that, you know, I am a part of the DA’s office. It exonerates you, so no harm done.”

I said, “Ok.”

He said, “Can you get it to me tomorrow?”

I said, “No, stay right here. Let’s go to my computer and I will print it for you.” I have a very organized archive system, um, so I found it, printed it, handed it to him. It explained everything.

Um, the next day, he calls me, said “Things are good, it was nice meeting you. Nothing to it.”

Later, I learned he had actually called Scott and verified Scott Smith, had verified everything so between that written evidence and this conversation with Scott Smith, nothing, no charges because there was no mal-intention here. So that’s the bribe.

Now, his friend reported this in an article and they said I tried to bribe her. That was the bribe, everyone.

Summary

1. Mr. Nick had to have known there was an issue - he asked the city attorney if his proposed conduct would be proper (before Mr. Nick offered the bribe).

2. According to Mr. Nick, he was told to wait until the city attorney performed the proper research. Instead, he didn't wait and offered the bribe.

3. Just because she doesn't accept the bribe doesn't mean he didn't break the law.

4. He admits that he broke the law by quoting the city attorney's opinion.

5. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

How is this guy still on the Lake Forest City Council and not in jail?