Officials Go to ‘Jail’ to Raise Money

Councilman Dan Del Campo was arrested for corruption. Westlake city planner Scott Wolf was arrested for playing hooky from Thousand Oaks City Hall. John Gore was arrested for impersonating a foreigner with his Irish accent.

With cellular phone in hand, the men started making calls from jail. They didn’t call a lawyer. They called friends, neighbors and business associates to try to raise money for the Conejo Valley Days Grand Marshal Race during Thursday’s “Jail ‘n’ Bail” fund-raiser at The Oaks mall.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department’s Volunteers in Policing members arrested residents selected by either “Sioux City” Sue Gore, wife of the incarcerated John Gore, or Tim “Cockroach Cowboy” Cooley to help in their respective bids to be named the Conejo Valley Days grand marshal by raising money for charity. The one who raises the most wins the title and gets a place in the annual parade. The second-place finisher will earn the title of deputy marshal.

Since the kickoff picnic last month, Cooley and Sue Gore have been raising money through a number of fund-raising events. Cooley is being sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Rotary Club, which has earmarked the money to support the Boy Scouts. Gore is sponsored by the Hospice of the Conejo and Soroptimists International, both of which intend to use the donations to support their programs. The funds will be tallied April 28 at Borderline Bar and Grill.

“It all goes for a good cause,” said Del Campo, who was helping Cooley raise money. Del Campo was at Thousand Oaks City Hall when the Sheriff’s Department volunteers came in to arrest him and City Atty. Mark Sellers. Del Campo brought chocolate along with him in the hopes of bribing shoppers to help him raise the $1,000 he needed to be released from jail.

John Gore was sitting at Sweeney’s restaurant in the mall when the VIPs arrested him. He had to raise $500 before he could leave.

“This is a fun event,” he said. “A lot of people thought it was kind of stupid when it first started. Now it’s one of the most popular events.”