Police Expand City-Issued Credit Card Misuse Investigation

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Sacramento police are adding another name to their City Hall criminal investigation.

The investigation over city-issued credit cards was opened this summer, after one of the mayor's top aides admitted to using public money for personal use.

It was a one-two punch at City Hall when a CBS13 camera followed Keith Hart in 2010. The mayor had just appointed him to a job coordinating city volunteers.

Now Sacramento police confirm he is the second mayoral appointee who's under criminal investigation for misusing city-issued credit cards for personal expenses.

Hart stopped working at City Hall in May of this year when the grant funding for his position ended.

He didn't answer his door or return calls to CBS13.

Police were already investigating Mayor Kevin Johnson's former aide Lisa Serna-Mayorga after she resigned and admitted to using city money for personal expenses, including Disneyland tickets.

The probe comes as Sacramento continues dealing with budget cuts, six straight years of deficits and the slashing of a quarter of all city positions.

"This is our money. It's not somebody else's money. This belongs to the people of Sacramento," said Bill Camp with the Sacramento Central Labor Council. "If you're going to spend the money of the people of Sacramento, then you got to explain to the people of Sacramento what the hell you did with that money."

Johnson is out of town, but his spokesperson issued a statement.

"We fully support the Sacramento Police Department's continued investigation of this issue. If there is any wrongdoing found, we support whatever actions will be taken to correct the situation," the statement read.

There are more questions about how other top city officials have been using city-issued credit cards.

A new audit shows an alarming number of city officials spending taxpayers' money on travel that was not approved.

Johnson charged up nearly $3,200 in food at restaurants around Sacramento.

Taxpayers are also footing the bill for more than $2,600 in travel costs.

Down the dais, Councilmember Darrell Fong spent $870 at Mikuni, the restaurant his brother runs.

Taxpayers paid former councilmember Lauren Hammond's $5,500 in charges at Scott's Seafood and other restaurants.

Councilman Kevin McCarty likes discount carrier Southwest. He's booked $2,600 in tickets on his city-issued credit card.

Veteran Councilman Steve Cohn charged up $2,600 to the Apple Store, and more than $1,100 for a trip to Philadelphia.

Then there's Councilmember Sandy Sheedy, who has by far the lowest bill: $266.

What did she spend that on?

It looks like a cell phone plan. You've got to give her credit for that one.