Beaumont resident alleges corruption in city

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 are digging deeper into what prompted the FBI to raid the city of Beaumont and a private consulting firm. We have learned the district’s attorney’s office is investigating the city’s relationship with Urban Logic consultants.

It’s a relationship that has gone back 20 years and some residents believe it’s full of corruption.

We talked to one of the most vocal residents who not only has been digging into the city’s finances but contacted the FBI with what she found.

“It’s our money, it’s our money they stole,” said Judy Bingham,

Bingham, who’s lived and owned a business in Beaumont for 30 years, spent the past 10 years following the city’s money trail.

“We just saw all of our money being taken away and the citizens derived no benefit from what was happening. The roads from the old part of town are crumbling,” said Bingham.

Bingham zeroed in on consulting firm Urban Logic and its dealings with the city.

“They never had to go to bid on any of the projects they did, it was just a given,” said Bingham.

She posted her findings on beaumontgate.org. Bingham and her lawyer say Urban Logic sued to get it taken down but lost.

“We wanted to shine some light into what was going on,” said Bingham. “The money was going from Union bank, the Mello Roos bond money was going straight to Urban Logic.”

Bingham says she and other concerned residents shared their documentation with the FBI. We do not know if that’s what prompted Wednesday’s raid of both City Hall, Urban Logic and several homes including the Beaumont city manager’s home in Palm Desert.

We asked the city for comment. It confirmed its relationship with Urban Logic saying in a statement the company, “has provided engineering, planning, and economic development services to the City of Beaumont for 20 years. The City is fully cooperating with the District Attorney’s investigation and will continue to update the public as information is made available by the DA’s Office.”

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 also uncovered one of Beaumont’s City Council members Mark Orozco is under investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission. He was just elected last year.

Orozco told us over the phone the investigation has nothing to do with Wednesday’s raid. He said he just filled out a wrong campaign financial form during his run for City Council and has paid a fine for it.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 could not confirm that. The Fair Political Practices Commission will not comment on an open investigation.