As we all know, Vice Mayor Jason Lee and Councilmember Mario Enríquez have been incredibly dedicated to serving the people of Stockton. They advocate for residents, actively work to improve the community, and organize events that bring families together. Unfortunately, they’ve recently faced interruptions from what they describe as ridiculous allegations—claims that seem aimed at undermining the very work they’ve accomplished and continue to pursue.
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But these city leaders are making it crystal clear: play with somebody else!
In case you missed it—or could just smell the BS from a mile away—this week, Stockton’s interim city manager Steve Colangelo announced an investigation into the city providing $50,000 to help fund a Wild ‘N Out comedy event that Lee had promoted and even performed in. Colangelo’s office alleged the event was held without the necessary approval.
Addressing these allegations head-on, Lee explained that nothing shady went down.
“As a former cast member of the show, I returned and voluntarily participated to help the show’s success and prove that Stockton is ready for this level of quality entertainment,” Lee said in a statement. “I received no compensation for my appearance.”
He doubled down, adding:
“Everything related to the Wild ‘N Out entertainment show in May was done above board and followed the current city protocols.”
During a Monday meeting, Jason Perry, the head of ASM Stockton, told the committee that ticket sales for the show ended up being low, so he asked the city for assistance. That request, according to Perry, was approved by Tina McCarty, director of Stockton’s Economic Development Department.
Lee and Enríquez Fire Back at Stockton’s Interim City Manager
Now, Lee and Enríquez aren’t just sitting back. They’re giving Colangelo a little taste of his own medicine—calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate allegations of possible budgetary fraud by Colangelo himself.
Lee didn’t hold back, calling the initial actions taken by Colangelo’s office “retaliation” and “politically motivated” to distract from what’s really going on inside City Hall.
“Just this week, the City Council’s Audit Committee that I chair discovered that Mr. Colangelo knowingly and intentionally submitted a questionable budget that included the funding of a department that had been previously eliminated—only to then create a department the council did not approve funding for and hire a group of individuals without posting the job listings for competitive review,” Lee told reporters.
The Vice Mayor is referring to the city creating a new Office of Public Transparency, Information and Communication (OPTIC) after dissolving the old Office of Performance & Data Analytics (OPDA). The kicker? Both changes were made without council approval, and OPDA is still part of this year’s budget, which began on July 1.
Motion to Bring in California’s Attorney General
Both Lee and Enríquez say a motion will be made at next week’s City Council meeting for the city attorney to refer the matter to Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Enríquez made it clear this fight is about more than just politics—it’s about restoring public trust:
“Transparency is important, ethics is important, and true integrity is important, because we have to ensure that the public has trust in our local government. There’s been too much noise, too much static, distracting us from the work,” Enríquez said.
He added that he will be directing the city attorney to also look into politically motivated investigations, retaliation, and Brown Act violations.
“And we have to be able to be honest with ourselves, to say we are doing the work, and we have to hold everybody accountable, regardless of what position you have.”
Lee and Enríquez Aren’t Backing Down
Clearly, neither Enríquez nor Lee is fazed by the allegations.
“When you do nothing, you have nothing to hide,” Lee said.
As the chair of the Audit Committee, and with Enríquez leading the Legislative/Environment Committee, Lee says they’re both committed to putting stronger safeguards in place.
“Together, we are looking for solutions to make sure there are more checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power here at City Hall,” Lee emphasized.