Wieder Rejects Offer of Top Aide to Resign
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SANTA ANA — Board of Supervisors Chairman Harriett M. Wieder on Wednesday rejected her chief of staff’s offer to resign following published reports that the aide, Sandra Ward, had served as a paid director of a firm that does business with the county.
The firm, Ground Systems Inc., has an exclusive license from the county to provide bus service between John Wayne Airport and various hotels in Anaheim and Buena Park.
Ward had acknowledged to reporters on Tuesday that she had attended one board meeting of the firm as part of a slate of new directors recruited by a longtime family friend, Ron Clear, the firm’s top officer.
But Ward she said she had resigned from the company in a letter mailed from her home a week ago.
Nearly a month ago, opponents of the slate filed court briefs alleging that Ward’s county government role created a conflict of interest.
Ward, who said he had been unaware of the court documents, said Wieder had approved of her company participation in advance.
Wieder said there “wasn’t anything illegal about what happened.”
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