Mayor Johnson Pledges Full Support For City Credit Card Crackdown

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - An audit shows movie, alcohol and hotel room upgrades paid by city of Sacramento employees with taxpayer dollars as more city credit card transactions are being exposed by the city's auditor.

CBS13's Steve large was at City Hall on Tuesday night to ask the mayor for his response to these revelations and the police probe involving two of his appointees.

Mayor Kevin Johnson is pledging his full support to the credit card crackdown.

"We're going to tighten down on every single thing that we should have done many, many years ago," he said.

This follows an expanded police investigation into the alleged misuse of city credit cards by two former mayor appointees.

Lisa Serna Mayorga had been at the center of an investigation since July, and just last week, police announced their probe has expanded to another former mayor appointee, Keith Hart.

"Are you surprised that his name is part of the expanded investigation?" Large asked the mayor.

"At this point I'm not surprised that anyone is being investigated," he said.

In a separate city audit presented to the City Council, a sample of credit card transactions showed other unallowable purchases, including:

• Alcohol, room upgrades and movie purchases by employees on city travel
• Ammunition purchases by employees in police and animal services
• A city employee's Arizona trip for city business, despite Sacramento's ban on traveling to the state on the city's expense because of Arizona's immigration policies.

"I think there's several controls that can be strengthened," Auditor Jorge Oseguera said. "We'll be in a much better position to deter inappropriate use in the future."

City Hall has also released years of credit card transactions showing expensive restaurant tabs and fancy hotel purchases on city tabs.

"Ultimately building confidence in the public is what we want. We want the public to be very confident with us, as elected officials. And the way the city is run, I think there's a little bit to be desired certainly at this point," Johnson said.