Rochelle Clayton Legal Complaint Alleges Corruption, Retaliation, and Document Tampering in San Bernardino City Hall

A bombshell legal complaint given to Inland Empire Community News exposes an alleged deep-rooted culture of corruption, manipulation of investigations, and retaliation within San Bernardino’s city government. The complaint, authored by former Acting City Manager Rochelle Clayton and exposed by a credible but anonymous source, details explosive allegations against top city officials, including document tampering, unethical hiring practices, intimidation, and the suppression of critical information.

The document, which surfaced just hours before the Wednesday, March 5, 2025, City Council meeting, paints a damning picture of misconduct at the highest levels, alleging a coordinated effort by city attorneys, councilmembers, and senior officials to control investigations, silence dissent, and protect their own interests.

Manipulation of Investigations & Document Suppression

• Hostile Work Environment Investigation: Clayton alleges that City Manager Charles Montoya instructed Deputy City Manager Suzie Soren to pressure investigator Jason Kravetz into finding damaging information against Lydie Gutfeld, former Director of Parks and Recreation, despite initial findings showing no evidence of wrongdoing. When no misconduct was found, Montoya allegedly redirected the investigation to scrutinize Gutfeld’s credit card transactions.
• Document Redaction & Tampering: The complaint alleges that City Attorney Jason Baltimore removed over 140 pages from an investigation report before handing it to Clayton, claiming to be “saving her time.” Baltimore also allegedly included a cover memo instructing Clayton to recommend Gutfeld’s termination.
• Parallel Investigations & Concealment: While Kravetz was investigating Gutfeld, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho allegedly conducted a separate, unauthorized review of Gutfeld’s emails. Key documents from JL Group investigations have since disappeared, with JL Group reportedly refusing to respond to repeated requests for copies from Acting City Manager Rochelle Clayton and Deputy City Manager Tanya Romo.
• Former Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin’s Censure & Investigations: The complaint highlights concerns about the credibility of JL Group investigations, noting that if their reports were unreliable in one case, it called into question other reports, including one used against former Councilwoman Kimberly Calvin. Councilman Fred Shorett allegedly acknowledged this issue, stating, “That means all their reports [are not credible] … that means Kim Calvin’s too.”

City Manager Recruitment & Allegations of Financial Exploitation

• City Manager Recruitment Investigation: Our anonymous source alleges that a network of city managers, using the same recruitment coach involved in hiring for both San Bernardino and Salinas, have turned the city into a “cash cow” for personal gain.
• Compensation Discrepancies & Denial of Proper Pay: Back to the complaint, Clayton claims she was entitled to a higher salary under city policy when she was appointed Acting City Manager, but was denied proper pay. When she confronted City Attorney Carvalho about the discrepancy, she was allegedly told, “That’s not how they do things here.”

Alleged Retaliation, Political Interference & Cover-Ups

• Suppression of Council Oversight: Our source alleges that when Clayton attempted to bring forward a vote to terminate the city’s legal contract with Best Best & Krieger (BB&K), Councilmember Ted Sanchez refused to participate, stating, “I will not participate in any special election that a lame-duck councilmember is trying to pump up in regards to the city attorney.”
• City Attorney’s Alleged Retaliation: Clayton describes repeated instances of hostility from City Attorney Sonia Carvalho, including a September 2024 meeting where she allegedly told Clayton, “We can’t work like this. If we can’t work this out, one of us will have to leave, and it won’t be me!”
• Quid Pro Quo Allegations: The complaint claims that during a September 2024 Zoom meeting, Carvalho accused the Mayor and Council of having a “quid pro quo deal” with Clayton but failed to report it as misconduct. This accusation stemmed from an email sent by the Mayor to Clayton on September 23, 2024, requesting an agenda item for a Council Compensation Committee meeting. Carvalho allegedly expressed frustration, stating, “We wouldn’t even be here discussing this if Council and Rochelle didn’t have this quid pro quo deal going on!” The complaint raises concerns that if Carvalho truly believed misconduct had occurred, she failed in her obligation to report it.
• Councilman Fred Shorett’s Pressure Tactics: The complaint recounts a dinner meeting in December 2024 where Shorett pressured Clayton to step down as Acting City Manager. Hours before a critical closed session, Shorett allegedly texted her, asking if she would be willing to resign from the position via email. Clayton refused, stating that she was afraid that whoever was brought in to replace her would fire her, damaging her professional reputation.
• Misuse of Legal Settlements: The document alleges that a settlement amount for the Pellis investigation was deliberately inflated to $2.5 million—far beyond the recommended $1.2 million—raising concerns over financial mismanagement within city hall.

Staff Intimidation & Allegations of Targeting Whistleblowers

• Councilman Ted Sanchez’s Conduct: The complaint alleges that Sanchez regularly pressured city staff, demanding immediate updates on projects and internal reports without proper protocol.
• Direct Interference & Harassment: Staff members reportedly referred to Sanchez’s visits to City Hall as “Theodore is in the house,” signaling that he was actively seeking information from employees without oversight.
• Undermining Leadership & Coercion: During a meeting with Sanchez and Councilman Fred Shorett on Nov. 4, 2024, Sanchez allegedly berated Clayton for over an hour, demanding step-by-step updates on projects while Shorett remained silent. Later, Shorett privately told Clayton that he did not agree with Sanchez yelling at her but did nothing to stop him during the confrontation.
• Retaliation & Fear Among Employees: Employees reportedly feared retaliation from Sanchez, with some resorting to whispering in their offices to avoid being overheard.
• ‘Just Keep the Lights On’ Directive: After Clayton was removed as Acting City Manager, Deputy City Manager Romo was appointed to the role but was allegedly told by City Attorney Albert Maldonado that she had no authority to make decisions, sign contracts, or take personnel actions. Instead, she was only there “to keep the lights on.”

What Comes Next?

The release of this legal complaint sheds new light on allegations of corruption, retaliation, and misconduct within San Bernardino’s government. As residents continue to demand greater transparency and accountability from city leadership, this document raises critical questions about the future of governance in the city.

With the City Council set to meet Wednesday evening, all eyes will be on officials to see how they respond to these allegations and whether meaningful action will be taken to restore public trust.

Read the full complaint below.