COUNTYWIDE : District Refuses to Pay Ely’s Legal Bills

The board of the Ventura County Community College District on Tuesday rejected Trustee Tom Ely’s claims that the district foot the bill for his legal defense on criminal charges.

Ely, 56, of Simi Valley and his wife, Ingrid, await a February trial on conspiracy and embezzlement charges stemming from their alleged filing of false travel claims with the district. Both have pleaded innocent to the charges.

In a December memorandum to district Chancellor Barbara Derryberry, Ely said California law requires that his legal fees be paid by the district because he is legally considered an employee. Ely said he paid $12,000 for work performed by attorney James Farley before filing for bankruptcy in October.

Ely, who is recovering from back surgery, said Wednesday he did not expect the district to approve his claim, which had to be filed before Jan. 1.

Derryberry, who is the board’s legal adviser, said the board also rejected Ely’s claim to be reimbursed $800 for two missed meetings in 1990.

Ely’s third claim asked the district to reimburse him for $7,000 in lost value incurred to his Jaguar XKE when it was damaged in a 1989 accident while Ely was driving to the district office. That claim was rejected by Derryberry and not brought before the board.