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Not doing all that well in this dog-eat-dog economic world? Well, that’s probably your own fault. If you were an on-the-ball capitalist with a penchant for both privatization and taking advantage of privatization, you could be stuffing your pockets just like Monarch Staffing, Inc., a business 40% owned by State Senator Mimi Walters and her husband, is doing, by following these two simple rules:
(1) Bill prisons to send out medical contractors — doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists — to work on prison sites.
(2) Don’t pay the contractors in a timely matter, if at all.
Do you see how easy it is? And if you were a wealthy Republican State Senator and former party nominee for State Treasurer, where you lost by the largest margin of any statewide Republican candidate in the year of a Democratic sweep, you could get away with it too!
Or — maybe not. Brian Joseph of The OC Register is on the story — and he’s after bigger and better game this time than questionable testimony from a questionable process server.
Following the lead of the LA Times, Joseph reports that the Walters’ prison staffing firm is regularly stiffing its contract service providers — to the point where they’re now getting dragged into court. (It’s enough to make this plaintiff employment attorney’s eyes mist up at the very thought.) One such contracting pharmacist (who may be unfamiliar with the concept of a class action) is going after them for $4900; another contracting dentist lays claim onto $14,500; others complain in the Times about a total of $120,000 or more in back pay due. One dentist is out $6600 and has been paid about $1000 of it, with the rest to be paid in $1000 interviews. (Is Mimi having, um, cash flow problems? Are these de facto personal loans to her company filed with the FPPC?)
But that’s not actually the worst of it. Being a conniving businesswoman who cheats workers is one thing; throwing one’s weight around as a Senator to get money from the government is another!
Late last year and early this year, Sen. Walters staff called prison officials to inquire about a claim Drug Consultants had filed with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, contending that the state had underpaid for its services. The commission approved a $74,400 payout to Drug Consultants in February.
Emails unearthed by a records request filed by the Times revealed that a staffer in Walters’ office called multiple prison officials about the claim. One email said that her office was calling “almost every day” for information.
Prison officials have said Drug Consultants received no special treatment, despite the calls from Walters’ office. They also have said that the both of the Walters’ companies have been paid for their services.
If that’s the case, the subcontractors say, then where is our money?
Look for this one to get worse, by which of course I mean more entertaining to watch, before it gets better. The people who are being stiffed by Monarch and its subsidiaries could probably use a good lawyer. I would be inappropriate for the task, having written this article, but I know a great lawyer who would probably have great interest in this case: Steve Young, who is running against Walters for the new 37th Senate District seat.
I know that some people have doubted Steve’s ability to win because the district is disproportionately Republican. Put together Democrats and people who are sick of this type of dirty dealing by politicians, though, and it looks to me like Steve’s chances are improving.
Good thinking by Californians in not electing Senator Doctor Stiffer as State Treasurer in 2010. It was a wise move then; it’s seeming like an even wiser move now!
Don’t pick on Mimi.
Next you’ll be asking where she really lives, and whether it’s where she’s registered to vote.
Or whether that studio apartment in Irvine is a little love shack for Mimi.
Like I said, don’t pick on Mimi.
I have read nothing in the press about such things!
And yet … Brian Joseph DOES seem to know her name … and DOES have a keen nose for carpetbagging rumors…
Is that Mimi in the picture? Doesn’t look like her….
I too had been concerned about her “cash flow” and family life, having heard the rumors of the tiny apartment she’s renting in her newly redrawn district.
None of us want to see her divorced, impoverished, do we? In the midst of her historic re-election campaign. This is sad personal stuff, and I would hope that Steve Young won’t make too much hay out of it.
It’s Mimi’s face; the rest is scheming Bree from Desperate Housewives. The background bits are probably self-explanatory. (Or so I bravely contend.)
never thought i would see the words steve young and great lawyer collide in the same sentence. furthermore, they never should
I don’t believe that you never thought you’d see those two words together. Steve’s not that modest; he’s probably said it himself.
What disappoints me is that you didn’t congratulate me for writing the title in iambic meter. Try singing it to the tune of “Lizzie Borden Took an Axe”! And here I thought that you were cultured.
Steve’s not that modest at all. His e-mail address is actually “BESTLAWYER” – I won’t say what domain though I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
And Greg’s right – first great iambic title here since my “Dana Called McCain A Whore” four years ago. Although I was thinking of the tunes “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” “London Bridges Falling Down” and “Yankee Doodle Went to Town.”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2008/08/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-whos-the-biggest/
I will give you a pass on your opening paragraph as you certainly don’t know that Monarch is stuffing their pockets full of cash…I doubt any outsiders know for sure unless there are financial statements available. I have seen many businesses who everyone thinks should make money based on margins, just not make it. This is still dirty…
Yes, she is a minority owner. She may not be an owner at all depending on how her husband’s 40% is held (i.e. community property was assumed in the article but it certainly could be separate property if structured as such). Many times minority owners really do not have control over the business and may not even be involved with it. We don’t know what her operational involvement is with Monarch, I don’t think so unless I missed something, but her husband, David, was the CEO and Chairman of the company (at least in Jan 2010 per an SEC filing). Monarch owns 100% of DCI which means that presumably David likely is also in control of DCI…It may be a stretch to say that Mimi is a conniving businesswomen as we don’t know her involvement in DCI/Monarch, but it sure seems that this situation is dirty and when you consider the perceived conflict of interest and perception of wrong doing, hopefully lawyer-ing up is not the best that she can do.
Correction, we do know that Mimi and David own the companies as community property per her disclosure form. Not that it changes the discussion much, but it also looks like DCI owes a finance company that appears to do asset based lending and factoring which are often used by companies that can’t get more traditional financing (they don’t have stellar credit or great proof of ability to pay, for example).
Without the calls coming out of her Senate office demanding reimbursement from the company, this is less of a story. Given those calls, someone in her office clearly has an interest in the financial strength of the company. That takes away her “I am just a poor silent partner” defense.
Now, if it was someone directed by her husband to pretend that they were from her office, they can certainly announce that fact. I won’t even look up what laws that would implicate until they do.
Since the company is in her district and they are having trouble securing payment from the state, it is part of her office’s job to try to help them out- she should do the same for any other company that is having the same problem. Obviously, there is a conflict, since the company is controlled by her husband. In my mind, I am not sure which is worse- the conflict or having ownership in a company that does not pay their contractors even once they get paid. Sort of a catch 22…
I worked with Drugs Consultants Inc (under Monarch Staffing Inc) at a CA prison and I too have not been paid in full. Please help expose this company to all for its evil ways.
Have you been paid yet?
I worked as an RN at a state prison through Drug Consultants Inc. They owe me $6,700.00 in wages. I took them to court and won. They STILL refuse to pay me. They are breaking the law. They are all criminals. I sent Mimi a letter and she simply ignored it. I, along with other RNs, have contacted the FBI to look into this.
Are there any class action lawsuits forming against Drug Consultants Inc? I won a judgment in court for over $7,000. They refuse to pay. I had Keith Moore ordered to court by a judge. Keith Moore is evading the process server. He attempted to serve him 11 times at his home. The wife answered the door and Keith refused to come to the door. The judge was anxious to issue a bench warrant, but Keith had not been served. If I don’t join a class action lawsuit, I’m going to be taking this to the next level (civil lawsuit). I’ll never be able to let this go. I drove 180 miles, round trip, to the state prison, every day, and did not get paid! Please contact me if you know of a class action lawsuit forming. There are two other RN’s who want to join it as well.
Deanne, you may want to contact an attorney who does collections. It’s a specialty and they’re good at what they do.
I am an RN who worked for DCI and did not get pain in full either. I have a judgment for $16000, would love to join up with other contractors who are looking to make these scums pay what they owe. I can’t fathom how people can rob from nurses working in prisons!
I’m a pharmacist who has a labor board hearing on July 24th. Mimi & David Walters are out so its Keith Moore, possibly Bill Frey. I don’t know know if these guys have a dime. Maybe an attorney or a collection agency that is very aggresive. Let me know,
Larry