Trustee Seeks Inquiry Into Transactions

Trustee Gregory Cole, stung by criticism that the community college district is firing Moorpark College’s president without good reason, asked state prosecutors Wednesday to investigate questionable financial transactions between the college and its private foundation.

Cole said he is troubled by allegations by Moorpark College employees that community college trustees are firing college President Stanley L. Bowers to relieve political pressure on themselves.

“I’m sensitive to the complaints of the faculty . . . (that) we’re playing politics,” Cole said Wednesday.

About 70 college faculty, staff and students appeared in support of Bowers at a trustees’ meeting Tuesday evening. Several told the trustees that Bowers has been an excellent president and is being treated unfairly.

Cole said he will ask other Ventura County Community College District trustees to support an inquiry by the state attorney general’s office. The matter will be on the trustees’ June 18 agenda, along with Bowers’ dismissal, he said.

Even without support from the rest of the board, Cole said, he will press the state to investigate the activities of the Moorpark College Foundation, an organization that raises money for the college.

A spokesman for the attorney general said the office has the authority to investigate charitable organizations such as the foundation. However, Deputy Atty. Gen. James Cordi in Los Angeles said that even if the full board requests an investigation, his office would have to review it to see if an inquiry is warranted.

Bowers was reprimanded by the trustees in December for transferring $51,000 in campus bookstore profits to the foundation, which bought new furniture in the president’s office and a country club membership in his name.

Bowers also came under fire for channeling $3,152 in bookstore profits to Ingrid Ely, the college’s former alumni association president, to pay for travel. State law requires that bookstore funds be spent for the benefit of students.

Last month, the trustees moved to fire Bowers for allegedly sidestepping pension and union regulations by paying two employees with $25,000 funneled through the foundation. It is unclear whether the Cole initiative will gain the support of the other trustees.

Board President Timothy Hirschberg said he thought a state investigation would only duplicate the work of the college district and the district attorney’s office. County prosecutors have charged another district trustee, James T. (Tom) Ely, and Ingrid Ely, who is his wife, with padding travel vouchers with $15,000 in fraudulent expenses.

“The foundation has been under a microscope for the last year,” Hirschberg said. “I’m satisfied the board has moved to clean up any problems.”

Hirschberg said, however, that he would not oppose Cole’s request to forward Moorpark College Foundation records to state investigators for a preliminary look.

Trustee Gregory Kampf said he did not know what to make of Cole’s proposal.

“I’m surprised to hear that from Dr. Cole,” Kampf said. “We had a meeting last night, and there was never any point where he suggested anything like that. I need to think it through a little bit.”

Bowers could not be reached for comment. And Lawrence G. Lloyd, a Moorpark College vice president who oversees the financial affairs of the foundation, said he could not comment because he also faces discipline from the board.

The board has told Lloyd that it intends to place a reprimand in his personnel file for his role in allegedly paying the two employees through the foundation.

Top foundation officials said they oppose another inquiry.

“I think that all that can do is harm the integrity and the name of the college. That’s just more negative publicity,” said foundation Chairman Michael Mitchell.

Foundation Executive Director Jim Niles said the state investigation would be “severe overkill,” considering the inquiries already completed. “But if the attorney general had time on their hands and wanted to take a look, they would find our books are in order.”

Cole said that while others may react coolly to his initiative, he will press it.

If the investigation is out of the trustees’ hands, “the public can be assured it’s not political,” he said. “I’m a trustee--I’m not a regulator, I’m not an accountant, I’m not an attorney. I think this merits an independent investigation.”

Times correspondent Jane Hulse contributed to this story.