In Thursday's hearing, the committee examined sworn testimony from Amanda Timpson, a former employee with the district attorney's office who claims she was demoted and then fired after trying to stop employees from using a federal grant meant for the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention for travel, computers and "Swag." Whistleblower Amanda Timpson says she was abruptly fired when she would not go along with the illegal use of the money.
Ms. Timpson testified that when Ms. Willis took office in 2021, her then-supervisor Michael Cuffee, a former campaign aide to Ms. Willis, told her he planned to use the grant money in a way that was explicitly prohibited by the rules governing grant administration.
Investigative committee chairman Sen. Bill Cowsert asked about Mr. Cuffee's reaction when Ms. Timpson told him the way he wanted to spend the grant funds "Was illegal." "Initially, he let me know that it was, um-the employees in the DA's office called Ms. Willis 'Madame'-so he let me know that it was 'Madame's Vision' and I basically said 'I understand that but it's not what the grant says,'" Ms. Timpson testified.
During her testimony on Thursday, Ms. Timpson said that she persisted in her opposition to what she described as planned misuse of the grant funds at weekly meetings.
As resistance built to her objections about the planned misuse of grant funds, Ms. Timpson testified that she notified Ms. Willis of the situation by email-but that the email was ignored.
Trending: Breaking: Two-Time PGA Tour Winner Dies Suddenly At The Age Of 30 Ms. Timpson then said she had a meeting with Ms. Willis on July 26, 2021, during which she notified Ms. Willis that her objections to the grant appropriation were meant in good faith to protect the integrity of the grant allocation and that of Ms. Willis's office itself.
The whistleblower added that, when she articulated her objections to the way Mr. Cuffee planned to spend the grant money, she was cut off by Ms. Willis and demoted-effective immediately-as punishment for persisting with her view that the grant funds should not be used in line with Ms. Willis's vision.
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