Investigation into Sacramento councilman’s residence is underway, but city won’t say who’s leading it
The city of Sacramento has opened its investigation into Councilman Sean Loloee’s residence, but it is not disclosing who is conducting the inquiry or when it is expected to be finished.
City officials say an independent firm is leading the investigation.
“Yes an inquiry has been launched,” city spokesman Tim Swanson said in an email Wednesday. “The city at this time is not disclosing the name of the firm it has hired so as not to compromise the investigation in any way.”
Swanson did not respond to inquiries asking how long the investigation would take.
Loloee is registered to vote at a home on Nogales Street in the Sacramento City Council’s District 2, one of eight in the city. The city requires council members to live in the districts they represent.
The Sacramento Bee in June reported that people who live near the house say Loloee does not live there. Another man at the home said he rented the house and lived there with his son.
The Bee in later reports showed that Loloee’s family claims a homeowner tax exemption on a $1.4 million Granite Bay home his wife owns. A woman who works for Loloee also confirmed that she lives in the Nogales Street home with her family. She wrote in a text message that Loloee allows them to live there.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg in late June asked Loloee to agree to an independent investigation of his residence. Loloee declined before changing course and accepting the mayor’s request for an inquiry just before the council was scheduled to vote on launching its investigation.
“I say with full confidence that I live in the district that I proudly represent,” Loloee said during a virtual press conference on July 1 from the house where he says he lives.
The Bee filed a request under the California Public Records Act on July 12 for the contract with the firm conducting the investigation. The city hast not yet provided it.
The council met this week for the first time since its summer recess on Tuesday. Loloee was present but the topic of Loloee’s residence did not come up.
In California, if a city council member does not reside or have a domicile in the district they represent, the council could vote to declare the seat vacant, and the member would be replaced, or any individual could file a “quo warranto” lawsuit, said Fred Woocher, an election law attorney. A person who votes from a place they don’t live could face criminal charges for perjury and voter fraud, Woocher said. If convicted, the person would lose the council seat.
Loloee and his companies are also facing a lawsuit the federal government filed in April alleging he threatened to deport employees of his grocery stores if they cooperated with federal investigators. His term is set to end in December 2024. He has filed paperwork to fundraise to run for re-election.
The next council meeting is Tuesday at 5 p.m.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 9:25 AM.
