Jim Erwin says he's being targeted by District Attorney and judges
Jim Erwin, chief of staff for San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry, said today that his arrest Thursday was politically motivated because his boss supports pay cuts to District Attorney's staff and discontinuance of judicial benefits for county judges.
Erwin, 46, of Highland, said during an interview this afternoon in San Bernarino that his infractions at most warrant fines from the Fair Political Practices Commission and not the 10 felony counts and $220,000 bail he was slapped with Thursday for allegedly lying about gifts and trips he received from influential Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum in January 2007.
Burum treated Erwin to a trip to New York City in late January 2007, where he lavished Erwin with a Rolex watch and prostitute as compensation to help shepherd a $102 million settlement with the county over control of flood control property at one if his Upland developments.
Erwin said his boss, Third District Supervisor Neil Derry, is pushing for the discontinuance of judicial benefits for 71 judges that will save the county $1.4 million a year. Derry also supports a 5-percent pay cut for all county prosecutors, public defenders and investigators at each office. Derry also supports the elimination of take-home vehicles for investigators at both the District Attorney's and Public Defender's offices.
One of the judges that appeared before the Board of Supervisors recently to contest the discontinuance of judicial benefits, Douglas Elwell, was the same judge that signed Erwin's arrest warrant, Erwin said.
Elwell could not be reached for comment today.
Erwin posted bond on $220,000 bail Thursday night and was released from custody. He said he offered his resignation Thursday to Derry, but Derry turned it down.
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