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San Diego County Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton announced today that the County is formally reviewing its internal contracting processes to improve oversight, following the recent allegations involving a County contractor, the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego. The Coalition was responsible for distributing naloxone, an anti-overdose medication, and its former Chief Operating Officer has been accused by the District Attorney of embezzling funds from the Coalition.

The County has started work with an independent auditor to conduct a targeted review of contracting processes. The auditor is expected to deliver a report with findings and recommendations by the end of May.

Shelton has asked the County Auditor and Controller to lead efforts among departments to evaluate and improve processes in coordination with the independent auditor’s review.

Shelton emphasized the County’s commitment to transparency and constant improvement to ensure confidence about how public funds are managed.

“The Board of Supervisors has made clear that they want a full understanding of what occurred and how we can strengthen our oversight,” said Shelton. “We take stewardship of public funds seriously, and we want to understand where the checks and balances may have broken down and what improvements may be needed. We look forward to the independent auditor’s report.”

Once the independent audit is complete, the County will evaluate the findings and determine any additional steps needed to strengthen contracting practices and protect public resources.

The County encourages employees, contractors and the public to report concerns about waste, fraud or abuse. Reports can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the County’s Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004 and online and the District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit.

The County continues to cooperate with the District Attorney’s investigation into fraud and embezzlement allegations related to the Harm Reduction Coalition and is also coordinating with Harm Reduction Coalition subcontractors that did not receive anticipated payments from the contractor to examine options for providing payment.

The County’s naloxone distribution efforts have continued without interruption to ensure people have access to life-saving resources.  Since the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego contract termination, nearly 48,000 kits have been distributed through the County’s network.