GOVERNMENT : County Wants to Know Why Case Was Dropped

The decision by the U.S. attorney’s office to drop criminal charges against Douglas Shaw, former head of a federal job-training agency based in El Monte, has prompted the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to ask for an explanation and a report on whether the county can take legal action on its own.

Shaw, 52, former executive director of the Mid-San Gabriel Valley Consortium (previously known as the Mid-Valley Manpower Consortium), was fired in 1993 after an audit alleged improper use of $400,000 in federal funds.

Money was allegedly misspent on the salaries of two Bradbury city employees who were not eligible for job training, for Shaw’s personal trips to Las Vegas and for his personal gifts. Federal prosecutors investigated Shaw for two years, filed 38 criminal charges against him and then unexpectedly dropped all charges Dec. 22.

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After learning of the decision to drop charges, the county supervisors on Jan. 10 asked the county counsel and the Department of Community and Senior Citizen Services to prepare a report within 30 days detailing why charges were dropped and whether the county can pursue civil or criminal legal action against Shaw. The county oversees disbursement of federal job training funds to nonprofit agencies such as the consortium.