A mistrial was declared Wednesday on 18 remaining counts against embattled former community college chancellor Ron Galatolo for embezzlement and misuse of funds during his time with the district — ending a long saga for all involved.
On Tuesday, the jury found him guilty on four counts of perjury and four counts of willfully filing false tax returns, as well as not guilty on one count of perjury. Two of those perjury counts related to failing to disclose gifts on government forms during his time as chancellor.
Defense attorney Chuck Smith said the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office largely failed to prove its case against Galatolo misusing his influence to direct district construction project contracts to people from whom he received valuable gifts and shared financial interests.
“The government loaded up all its guns and shot them at Ron Galatolo, and for the most part they missed,” he said. “Their whole theory about his corruption and the way he operated the community college was wrong. They convicted him on personal stuff.”
Galatolo himself concurred and maintained, as he has throughout the criminal process, that he is innocent and made a positive impact on the San Mateo County Community College District throughout his tenure as chancellor.
“I think it proves I was innocent,” he said of the hung counts. “I am innocent.”
The DA’s case attempted to prove a pattern of private and public corruption, alleging Galatolo directed district construction projects to companies from which he received valuable gifts. Prosecutors alleged during trial that felony misuse of funds occurred when Galatolo directed development contracts for the 2013 Cañada solar project and 2016 Cañada Building 23 to contractors with whom he had personal relationships.
Although the DA’s Office did not get convictions on the misuse of fund charges, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he was appreciative of the work of the jury and the legal process, which found Galatolo guilty on eight counts.
“We did convict on eight felony counts,” he said. “He is a convicted felon now. We would have liked for a larger number of guilty verdicts, but this is how the system works. I am satisfied we have been able to have him labeled a felon.”
Galatolo could face up to seven years, four months in county jail for the charges on which he was convicted, Wagstaffe said.
Galatolo disputed a large majority of the charges of which he was found guilty, including the perjury relating to failing to disclose gifts. He said those were minimal unintentional errors throughout the course of 10 years.
Recommended for you
“That made me a human,” he said. “That doesn’t make me a criminal.”
The process for the gift form disclosure allows those submitting the forms to go back and update them at any time without penalty, he said, and should not have been charged as a felony.
He also disputed the conviction of tax evasion on a Maui rental property, which he said was a net financial loss for him, the conviction of falsely writing off a $10,000 donation the district made to fire relief efforts in Santa Rosa as a personal donation, which he said was an inadvertent mistake, and one of the DMV perjury charges.
The DA’s Office will take time to consider whether they will retry on the remaining charges, Wagstaffe said, and consider the span of jury votes on guilt or innocence as well as the lack of acquittal.
“As DAs, we could get a 100% conviction rate if all we ever did was try the easy ones — we try the ones we believe the person committed,” he said. “We would have liked better, we’re certainly pleased with what the jury gave us.”
The investigation and accusations of wrongdoing against Galatolo began in 2019, when former Vice Chancellor Eugene Whitlock filed a whistleblower complaint alleging a laundry list of misconduct by Galatolo.
When the criminal investigation was announced, trustees placed Galatolo on administrative leave from the chancellor emeritus position created when plans were announced for him to depart from the chief administration post in 2019. He was later dismissed completely in 2021. He was arrested at SFO following his return from vacation in 2022.
The District Attorney’s Office announced charges April 7, 2022, alleging fraudulent reporting of charitable donations, steering district construction projects as chancellor, failure to disclose gifts from construction firms who had business with the district, and underreporting the purchase price of luxury cars.
Jose Nuñez, former vice chancellor of facilities for the San Mateo County Community College District, was also charged with 15 felonies. He pleaded no contest to two felony counts of using the community college district’s resources for political purposes, including the election campaign of district board candidate Tom Mohr and a bond measure providing $388 million in funding for college district capital projects between 2018-20.
As part of the plea, he testified as a witness and the DA’s Office dismissed the remaining charges.
The investigation and criminal trial process has spanned seven years, Galatolo said, and is unfortunate to have dealt with at the end of his career. Ultimately, he’s hopeful people will remember his positive work at the district, including major campus redevelopments. “There was a lot of good in that district, a lot of good,” he said. “I hope the public understands there was a lot of good in that district. Very little bad.”
(2) comments
While Mr. Galatolo may maintain his innocence, his tenure at the San Mateo County Community College District was characterized by an authoritarian approach that fundamentally deceived the voters and taxpayers of this county. Rather than treating the public as essential stakeholders, his administration viewed them as obstacles to be bypassed, effectively circumventing the transparency and accountability essential to any government agency. Evidence at trial suggested he viewed himself as a "king"—a sentiment that aligns with my own observations of his behavior as Chancellor during years of attending District meetings.
Attorney Smith argued that the theory regarding Galatolo’s corruption was "wrong," but the facts suggest otherwise. One must ask if the jury was fully aware of the broader context:
The systemic withholding of truthful information from the Board of Trustees.
The expenditure of over $1 billion in taxpayer bond money to expand campuses despite years of declining enrollment.
The construction of luxury health clubs subsidized by the public.
The strict control of public information and efforts to stifle input during public meetings.
Mr. Smith’s definition of corruption clearly differs from that of the taxpayers who funded these projects. Galatolo’s defense seems to rely on the philosophy that "the ends justify the means." However, the foundation of public service is trust. The Board and the public alike rely on administrators to provide honest, unbiased data.
Instead, the billion-dollar bond program appears to have been manipulated to mislead the public. Transparency measures, such as timely gift disclosures, are not mere formalities—they are vital protections for taxpayers. When these systems are bypassed, it is only appropriate that such actions are treated with the severity of the law.
In general, I agree with Maxine. However, missing from this litany of bad acts, is the liability and responsibility of the Board of Trustees. While there was a lot going on behind the scenes, some of which may be further prosecuted against this defendant, most of the projects listed here were done with the approval of that Board (elected, by the way). The manner in which they were conducted was also the obligation of the board to oversee. That is not to take away from the defendant, the obligation to use fair dealing and non-corrupt practices, but he has a board in place to watch him. The allegations suggest the District Attorney did not think any such oversight took place, or was in the alternative, at all effective.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.