District Attorney's re-election committee asks for Supervisor Derry's endorsement

The committee to re-elect San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos has asked Third District Supervisor Neil Derry for his support.

A letter to Derry dated April 17 states,  "Over the past seven years, Mike has been able to restore public confidence and credibility to the District Attorney's Office. Mike has made political corruption a priority. He created the first Public Integrity Unit in the history of our county. He maintains a vigilant watch over the politicians and bureaucrats so that we don't drift back to the days of back room deals and corruption."

The letter was signed by Sheriff Rod Hoops, Stephen Matich, president of the Matich Corporation, Eleanor Rossi of the San Bernardino County chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, and David Lewis, executive vice president of the Lewis Group of Companies, one of the most prominent developers in the Inland Empire.

Investigators with the District Attorneys Office arrested Derry's former chief of staff, Jim Erwin, last month at Derry's office and charged him with eight felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of filing false or forged documents. The charges stemmed from unreported gifts Erwin received from Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum in January 2007, including a $13,000 Rolex watch and a trip to New York City.

The gifts, according to Erwin, were for his help in shepherding a landmark $102 million settlement between Burum's company, Colonies Partners, and the county over an Upland flood control project in November 2006.

Erwin said the infractions warranted, at most, a fine from the Fair Political Practices Commission and alleged his arrest was in reatliation for Derry's proposal to eliminate take-home vehicles for 60 employees at the District Attorney's Office to help shore up the county's projected $86 million budget deficit next year.

Derry has also proposed that county prosecutors and district attorney investigators be subject to the same pay cuts all nonsworn county employees are facing come July 1.

Derry declined to comment on the letter he received.

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com