(GILBERT) – Personal attacks against town councilman Chuck Bongiovanni were the focus of the public comment section at this week’s town council meeting.
“If you don’t want to be called corrupt, stop doing corrupt things," Carissa Arnold said.
Photo credit: YouTube
Of only two public speakers present on Dec. 2, the former resident and disheartened mother spoke on behalf of her then minor daughter, who she alleged recently considered taking her own life following a harrowing sexual assault that left her mental state in shambles.
“She was raped and too ashamed to tell me,” Arnold recalled of her daughter, “She was terrified that she wouldn't be believed by anyone, including the police."
Arnold said her daughter feared retaliation for coming forward.
"Her fears came to fruition," Arnold said.
Referencing comments made by Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni in the last regular town council meeting held on Nov. 18, Arnold declares, “The most disappointing comments came from one council member who linked allegations of corruption to mental illness.”
She continues, comparing the reasoning of Councilman Bongiovanni’s alleged association with other public cases within town limits, including those involving Nick Cordova, Rachel Hansen, and Preston Lord. Her reasoning: if the councilmember could blame her accusations of corruption on mental illness, he could just as easily say the same about the families of other victims and thousands of other residents.
The former resident’s testimony provided details about her observations of Councilman Bongiovanni's online behavior, including that he is frequently “trolling online”.
Photo credit: NextDoor/Teri Tracy
She goes on to mention his tendency to call other users “bots”, using fake accounts, or using fake names, and adds claims of harassment to her statement.
Photo credit: NextDoor/Teri Tracy
“This conduct is concerning, to say the least,” Arnold laments. “And approaches the threshold of criminality.”
Photo credit: NextDoor/Teri Tracy
The line of concern with public council behavior was then tied back to Arnold’s distress about her daughter as she reflected on recent events, stating, “I nearly lost my daughter as a result of the same misogynistic and bully behavior demonstrated by certain council members.”
Adding to her point, she reiterates the seriousness of what she considers corruption, following up on her claims from previous council meetings about the deletion of essential case data related to her daughter’s case.
“Evidence has been provided to you that shows unlawful conduct by town officials, including illegally deleting public records, manipulation of police data, open meeting and campaign finance law violations, harassment, threats, and allegations of possible extortion, withholding and deleting evidence, and weaponization of police and unlawful influence of police investigations," Arnold said.
The tension in Arnold’s voice amplified her frustration as she explains that mental illness claims in association with assault cases can distract from real victims being heard and from justice being served for their suffering.
The outro to Arnold’s speaking time included the declination of alleged offers from Councilman Bongiovanni to meet in order to discuss the matter, labeling their timing before an election as “creepy” and “disingenuous.”
“The only words I want to hear from you are that an investigation by an outside agency is in progress,” she affirms.
Her attendance at previous council meetings has been consistent as she continues to seek justice for what she deems a lack of morals and transparency surrounding her daughter’s case.
OpGov.ai has reached out to town spokesperson Joanna Guzman for comment on this topic, which will be updated as it becomes available.
Additionally, OpGov.ai reports another public attack on an official in West Sacramento this week as read here.
If you would like to add anything to this report, please email me at teri.t@lead4earth.org.
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