The (first) worm turns: Where Mike Ellzey fits into the Great Park scandal.

R. Scott Moxley’s latest article is a must-read for Great Park Scandal aficionados.

The star of today’s story is Mike Ellzey,  the Great Park CEO Larry Agran hired in 2008 after a secret interview at the Irvine Denny’s. [*]  Mike has been carrying water for Larry every since.

For example, Mike vigorously defended Great Park management  just this January against the initial findings of the Forensic Audit.  As I posted elsewhere:

According to the accounting documents, there were sixteen level 1 feasibility studies commissioned *after* the Master Plan had been approved. The forensic accountant freely admitted that he was not an expert in planning, but to him it seemed like the feasibility study contracts should come *before* the master plan contract, so the forensic accountant recommended that these contracts merited additional review.

Michael Ellzey, Great Park CEO, had an interesting defense.  First he claimed this is the standard process: first approve a master plan, and then commission feasibility studies to see what can actually be built.  Next, he claimed that actually those were Level 2 feasibility studies.  Who defends themselves against a Forensic accountant’s charge of poor management by saying “I mis-labeled the contracts”?

As proof that these were actually Level 2 feasibility studies despite being recorded in the General Ledger as Level 1, Mr. Ellzey pointed out that he spent much more on these contracts then is typical for a Level 1 feasibility study.  An odd defense against the charge of overspending.

The  process of letting  small fish jump out of the frying pan if they help fry bigger fish has begun  — with the guy who has been approving contracts since 2008.

Bring Popcorn Tuesday night!

[*] Yes, Irvine has a Denny’s.
Raise your hand if you have know where it is.
Extra credit if you’ve eaten there.

HA HA! Fooled you! This Denny’s is closed. The Deposition makes clear that meeting took place at the OTHER Denny’s, pictured above.


About Tyler in Irvine

Twenty Year Irvine Resident. Native Texan and proud Longhorn. Pro-Choice Ron Paul supporter. "Do I contradict myself? ... then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." - Walt Whitman