A controversial contract to outsource background investigations at the District Attorney’s office is slated to return for a decision by county supervisors on Tuesday.
The contract, to outsource background investigations to the firm RCS Investigations & Consulting for $85,000 per year, drew criticism last week from supervisors’ Chairman Todd Spitzer as a potential example of friends helping friends get county contracts.
The contract’s staff report, which was co-written by the DA’s investigations chief, Craig Hunter, didn’t note any past relationships between himself and the proposed vendor.
But Spitzer said Hunter worked with an RCS partner, Steve Rodig – who would be the firm’s manager for the contract – when both were supervisors at the Anaheim Police Department.
Hunter, who was recommending the RCS contract, oversaw Anaheim’s gang unit while Rodig supervised robbery and homicide in 1993, according to Spitzer.
Although Spitzer cautioned that he wasn’t accusing anyone of wrongdoing, he cited the RCS contract and a contract-splitting scandal in the parks department as the justification for his proposal to require county officials to disclose social and professional relationships with proposed vendors before their contracts are up for approval by supervisors.
The full agenda is available on the county’s website.