Postmus' future hazy
DA continues Assessor's Office investigation

Lauren McSherry, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 07/24/2008 10:41:06 PM PDT

The revelation that Assessor Bill Postmus has been mired with a drug addiction that resulted in two stints in rehab has given rise to questions about what direction his faltering political career will take - and whether he could face jail time.

Some political watchdogs and county government insiders had speculated the San Bernardino County district attorney's investigation into the Assessor's Office would dead-end with the arrest of Adam Aleman, Postmus' top assistant who has been charged with six felonies.

But Thursday, Susan Mickey, the district attorney's spokeswoman, confirmed the investigation is ongoing. No details have been released regarding the current focus of the investigation.

But multiple sources have said Postmus has a drug addiction that began after a back injury.

Several sources also confirmed that Postmus has done two stints in drug rehabilitation centers, including his first treatment in 2006 when he had claimed to have been vacationing in Wisconsin burying his grandmother's ashes.

An obscure passage in California Government Code may implicate Postmus in breaking the law.

Any county officer who is intoxicated while carrying out the duties of his office or who neglects his duties due to intoxication is guilty of a misdemeanor, Section 3001 states.

State code also defines an assessor as a county officer.

But proving a neglect of duties could be difficult. The county assessor is not required to log hours or even make regular appearances at work, under county code.

"I'm not sure it applies to him at all because he has no hours," said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies.

If the assessor, who announced Wednesday he was going on a 10-week medical leave, chooses to leave office, he could reap a windfall through disability retirement.

Under the county retirement system, he could receive about $54,000 a year. That estimate is based on Postmus' $141,000 salary and a benefits package that totals $20,400 annually.

The county Board of Retirement would ultimately need to approve a disability retirement.

If the 37-year-old assessor chose a regular retirement package, he would not receive payments until at least age 50, said Danielle Jaramillo, communications officer for the San Bernardino County Employees' Retirement Association.

Political experts agree that it could take years for Postmus' political career to rebound, assuming the scandal goes no further than drug addiction.

"A political recovery takes longer than a substance-abuse recovery," said John J. Pitney Jr., a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.

Still, regaining political momentum is possible, he said.

"After all, the president of the United States is a recovering alcoholic," he said. "But it's very difficult. A lot of people might hold it against him."

Stern, meanwhile, was more optimistic.

"Usually, politicians will ask for forgiveness and say they have reformed themselves, and voters tend to forgive."