Scott Voigts and the Truth - Summing Up

Because of an outrageous lie told at the last City Council meeting, we’ve spent several articles looking at the lies, false claims, acts of omission, and broken promises made by Scott Voigts. As a public person and an elected official, Voigts is appropriately subject to this type of scrutiny, and as someone who has been Mayor and now holds the title of Mayor Pro Tem, this type of investigation seems mandatory. Scott Voigts represents the people of Lake Forest, and the people should know the character of the people representing them.

There are a whole bunch of ways I’d rather have spent many hours of my life rather than writing this long list of Voigts’ behaviors. But as another elected official, and one who shares not only the dais with Voigts, but who also attends events with him, I believe it’s important for me to share this information with the public.

It’s also important at a time like this, when Voigts’ conduct is being called into question with a recall movement for us to look closely at what he’s been doing. These articles have focused on his lies and mis-representations. In all fairness to Scott, I will be broadening the scope of my coverage in the next few weeks, but his outlandish behavior at the Dec 15, 2015 Council meeting gave rise to this specific subject as the start of my series.

Here’s a brief summary of all the major points –

ACTS OF OMISSION/BROKEN PROMISES

· Voigts consistently fails to reveal that he received money from companies for whom he votes to give City contracts, in apparent violation of the City’s code of ethics.

· Voigts consistently fails to reveal that the people he appoints to City Commissions have social and financial ties to him, in apparent violation of the City’s code of ethics.

· Voigts, Robinson, and Hamilton consistently vote for each other without revealing the financial ties among them in apparent violation of the City’s code of ethics.

· Voigts has many broken promises and often voted exactly opposite to what he promised.

HISTORY OF LIES/FALSE CLAIMS

· In 2010 Voigts claimed he had only $5,000 to spend on his 2010 campaign when in fact he had amassed $15,000 when he made that remark and eventually spent $37,000+.

· In 2010 Voigts campaigned against increasing the size of Musick Jail, then in 2013 signed an agreement to more than double the size and to allow maximum security prisoners to be placed there.

· In 2010 Voigts campaigned for term limits, then in 2013 pushed through a term limits ordinance that was virtually limitless, giving incumbents the ability to be in office for 24 out of 26 years.

· Throughout 2013 Voigts claimed we are one of the “safest” cities in the U.S. when we are not even one of the safest cities in South Orange County.

· In May 2013 Voigts claimed he spent no more than Peter Herzog in 2010 when in fact he spent 40% more.

· In August 2013 Voigts claimed that the people in the “Save Lake Forest” initiative were lying about him, but failed to provide any proof and failed to initiate legal action.

· In August 2013 Voigts falsely claimed that a special exemption had not been granted to children who lived in Brookfield Homes, the developer who helped fund his campaign and that of his BFF Dwight Robinson.

· In December 2013 Voigts lied on the dais when he said that OC Alert would let residents know when prisoners escaped from Musikck Jail.

· In December 2013 Voigts lied on the dais when he said that the expanded Musick Jail was not intended for maximum security prisoners.

· On June 6, 2014 in an e-mail at a time when he was not Mayor, Voigts sought funds for his re-election campaign and claimed he was “Mayor City of Lake Forest”

· In July 2015, Voigts falsely claimed that he did not wear a wire while trying to entrap a fellow Councilman, then on August 12 he admitted the lie in an article on The Voice of OC.

· In that same article, on August 12, 2015 Voigts claimed that Councilman Nick tried to bribe former GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, a claim Baugh and Nick vehemently denied.

· Beginning in October 2015 and continuing thereafter Voigts falsely claimed I was “behind” the recall, when in fact I was as surprised as anyone.

· On December 2, 2015 Voigts falsely claimed that I was thrown out of Bagels and Brew for circulating recall literature.

· On December 15, 2015 Voigts falsely claimed that a Form 496 listing a $10,000 expense by Meritage Homes to help his campaign did not exist. Then he claimed that he was unfamiliar with the mailer funded by the $10,000, yet he was quoted in the OC Register praising the mailer.

SUMMARY

Wow.

In this series we’re looking at the enormous number of mis-statements of facts, acts of omission, broken promises, misleading comments, distortions of the truth, and outright lies that were told by Scott Voigts. Some of the actions are no more than the bluster that most politicians blow our way, but other actions might be considered to be far more serious breaches of the covenant between public official and the public whom they serve.

Whether or not the false claims are acts of commission or omission, Scott Voigts has a formidable history behind him. There are classes of lies that belong to exaggerations that we all come to expect from politicians. “We have the greatest city in the nation” is probably a lie, but everyone who listens knows that the person is exaggerating. But many of Voigts statements seem very different.

Scott Voigts was elected by the people of Lake Forest, and appointed by the “Gang of 3” to be Mayor and now Mayor Pro Tem. His behavior is a reflection of our City and on our people. Each person must decide whether or not this kind of behavior, regardless of whatever good qualities Scott may possess, represents how we want our City portrayed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.

Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a Town Hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be on Jan 30 at 2 pm at the Foothill Ranch Public Library.

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