Steiner Will Ask Board to Double Legal Allowance
Supervisor William G. Steiner, one of three county officials facing bankruptcy-related misconduct charges, will ask his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors next week to double his defense spending allowance to $500,000.
Steiner said his legal bills now total about $300,000. A state appeals court is expected to rule in coming weeks on motions to dismiss the misconduct charges against Steiner and Board Chairman Roger R. Stanton.
If the cases are thrown out, Steiner said he will need only $50,000 to cover his outstanding legal bills.
Steiner, Stanton and Auditor-Controller Steve E. Lewis are accused of failing to prevent the bankruptcy. If convicted, they could be removed from office.
The board provided Lewis with $300,000 in defense funds but rejected his recent request for additional funds.
The board allocated more than $650,000 to former Budget Director Ronald S. Rubino, who faced criminal charges related to the bankruptcy.
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