Ex-mayor gambled away $1 billion

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

SAN DIEGO — Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor took $2 million from a nonprofit foundation to feed a gambling addiction in which she lost more than $1 billion over an eight-year period, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

O’Connor, 66, appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to a money laundering charge as part of a deferred prosecution. Under the arrangement with federal prosecutors, she has two years to repay the $2 million taken from the R.P. Foundation, a nonprofit set up by her late husband, Robert O. Peterson.

Peterson was the co-founder of the Jack-In-The-Box restaurant chain and later Southern California First National Bank Corp., which eventually became part of the Union Bank empire.

Prosecutors said O’Connor, who is in poor physical health, had $1 billion in gambling winnings between 2000 and 2008, but she posted losses during the same period that were greater than that amount. They described her as “destitute.”
Related

San Diego reacts to ex-mayor's day in court

At a press conference with her attorneys after the court hearing, O’Connor said she had borrowed money from her husband’s foundation.

“I always intended to pay it back,” she said.“and I still intend to pay it back. In that period of time I lost my husband, three siblings, best friends.”

O’Connor teared up as she added,“Most of you know, I never meant to hurt the city.” She then left the room, using a cane and holding on to the arm of an escort.

According to a federal court documents, she gambled at casinos in San Diego, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

O’Connor, a Democrat who served two terms as mayor from 1986 to 1992, is accused of transferring $2 million from the foundation beginning in September 2008 and March 2009. She never repaid the money.

The foundation went broke and closed in 2009, a federal official said.

Under terms of O’Connor’s deferred prosecution, she has to undergo psychiatric treatment for gambling addiction, obey all laws and try to pay back the money.

Her lawyer, Eugene Iredale, said O'Connor was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011, and she had surgery that led to brain swelling. He said her doctors have said it's possible the tumor pressed on centers of the brain that affect judgement and reasoning, and could explain in part her gambling addiction.

During the court hearing, O'Connor appeared frail and had to sit down during part of the proceedings.

Her career as a civic leader was impressive. O’Connor rose from a job as a physical education teacher at a Catholic girls school to being elected to the City Council, where she served from 1971 to 1979. She served on the San Diego Unified Port District from 1980 to 1985, before being elected mayor.

She and Peterson were married in 1977. A wealthy philanthropist, Peterson died in 1994.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/14/ma...

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

If you're going to self-destruct, you might as well do it in spectacular fashion.

[Enzyte Bob]

Maureen, I'd like to introduce you to somebody.

Maureen, meet Art. Art, this is Maureen. I have a great business proposition for you two. Maureen, have you ever bet on any football games before?

[bosco]

If you or I would into a store and took a charity box filled with coins amounting to a $100, What would happen? Eh?

[Dane Thorsen]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

SAN DIEGO — Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor took $2 million from a nonprofit foundation to feed a gambling addiction in which she lost more than $1 billion over an eight-year period, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
O’Connor, 66, appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to a money laundering charge as part of a deferred prosecution. Under the arrangement with federal prosecutors, she has two years to repay the $2 million taken from the R.P. Foundation, a nonprofit set up by her late husband, Robert O. Peterson.
Peterson was the co-founder of the Jack-In-The-Box restaurant chain and later Southern California First National Bank Corp., which eventually became part of the Union Bank empire.
Prosecutors said O’Connor, who is in poor physical health, had $1 billion in gambling winnings between 2000 and 2008, but she posted losses during the same period that were greater than that amount. They described her as “destitute.”
Related
San Diego reacts to ex-mayor's day in court
At a press conference with her attorneys after the court hearing, O’Connor said she had borrowed money from her husband’s foundation.
“I always intended to pay it back,” she said.“and I still intend to pay it back. In that period of time I lost my husband, three siblings, best friends.”
O’Connor teared up as she added,“Most of you know, I never meant to hurt the city.” She then left the room, using a cane and holding on to the arm of an escort.
According to a federal court documents, she gambled at casinos in San Diego, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
O’Connor, a Democrat who served two terms as mayor from 1986 to 1992, is accused of transferring $2 million from the foundation beginning in September 2008 and March 2009. She never repaid the money.
The foundation went broke and closed in 2009, a federal official said.
Under terms of O’Connor’s deferred prosecution, she has to undergo psychiatric treatment for gambling addiction, obey all laws and try to pay back the money.
Her lawyer, Eugene Iredale, said O'Connor was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011, and she had surgery that led to brain swelling. He said her doctors have said it's possible the tumor pressed on centers of the brain that affect judgement and reasoning, and could explain in part her gambling addiction.
During the court hearing, O'Connor appeared frail and had to sit down during part of the proceedings.
Her career as a civic leader was impressive. O’Connor rose from a job as a physical education teacher at a Catholic girls school to being elected to the City Council, where she served from 1971 to 1979. She served on the San Diego Unified Port District from 1980 to 1985, before being elected mayor.
She and Peterson were married in 1977. A wealthy philanthropist, Peterson died in 1994.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/14/ma...

OMG......yet not one of the Union Operatives who pretend to be Democrats at election time in California will due prison time for colluding with the publ empl unions to defraud current and future generations of California families out of 100's of millions in wildly excessive pension scams???? Go figure!

[Big Johnson]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

O’Connor rose from a job as a physical education teacher at a Catholic girls school....

Typical thieving Catholic filth.

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

Big Johnson wrote:

<quoted text>
Typical thieving Catholic filth.

She's a Democrat. They aren't real Catholics since 1973.
Try again, little girl.

[Hugh Jr]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

<quoted text>She's a Democrat. They aren't real Catholics since 1973.
Try again, little girl.

Who is this little girl, LIG?

[Vice Squad]

Hugh Jr wrote:

<quoted text>
Who is this little girl, LIG?

He calls almost every unregistered user LIG.

[Clueless Cleavon]

Vice Squad wrote:

<quoted text>
He calls almost every unregistered user LIG.

Spot on!

[Duke for Mayor]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

<quoted text>She's a Democrat. They aren't real Catholics since 1973.
Try again, little girl.

Then Rome has a shitload of money they should give back.

woof

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

Duke for Mayor wrote:

<quoted text>
Then Rome has a shitload of money they should give back.
woof

If the dumbass Dems were so stupid to give it in the first place, that's their problem. They're so ignorant about their own religion that many of them don't even realize they've already excommunicated themselves.

[Duke for Mayor]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

<quoted text>If the dumbass Dems were so stupid to give it in the first place, that's their problem. They're so ignorant about their own religion that many of them don't even realize they've already excommunicated themselves.

Well, I must say, that is a response not to be unexpected, with appropriate priorities expected of a Catholic.

woof

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

Duke for Mayor wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, I must say, that is a response not to be unexpected, with appropriate priorities expected of a Catholic.
woof

Are gifts not given freely?

[Duke for Mayor]

Hugh Victor Thompson III wrote:

<quoted text>Are gifts not given freely?

Did they not pay the proper fee for the excommunications? Is that it?

woof

[Hugh Victor Thompson III]

Duke for Mayor wrote:

<quoted text>
Did they not pay the proper fee for the excommunications? Is that it?
woof

Now you're babbling like a child, all out of your bizarre hatred of the Church.
You're almost to be pitied.

[Enzyte Bob]

Enzyte Bob wrote:

Maureen, I'd like to introduce you to somebody.
Maureen, meet Art. Art, this is Maureen. I have a great business proposition for you two. Maureen, have you ever bet on any football games before?

I was thinking about something else this afternoon. What is it about these stupid fast food widows and gambling? Art cleaned out the Wendy's widow, now Maureen blows through her husband's fast food fortune as well?

At least she won a billion before she lost it. Art should have been gambling with her.