More StanCOG excessive spending revealed: Rental cars, luxury hotels, a $2,800 iPad
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- StanCOG paid over $18K for rentals and luxury tablet used by Ceres mayor.
- Modesto councilwoman charged nearly $10K in Ritz-Carlton hotel stays.
- Grand jury report led StanCOG board to fire director over $100K in lavish spending.
Public records reveal more about the exorbitant spending practices within the Stanislaus Council of Governments, an agency lambasted in a recent grand jury report citing fiscal abuse.
Two city officials in Stanislaus County stand out in a review of StanCOG travel expenses and reimbursement forms obtained by The Modesto Bee. Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez used rental cars almost a dozen times, totaling more than 100 days, costing taxpayers $8,330, while serving two years as chairman of StanCOG’s policy board.
StanCOG also paid $2,800 to purchase an Apple iPad Pro for Lopez in March 2024. The purchase of the high-end tablet included a power adapter, case, Apple Pencil and data service.
Modesto Councilwoman Rosa Escutia-Braaton, a StanCOG policy board member, stayed in Ritz-Carlton luxury hotels three times while attending conferences of the National Association of Regional Councils, according to the agency’s records. The hotel charges alone were as high as $3,864 (for three nights) for a conference in September 2023 and came to a total of $9,868 for the three conferences. Escutia-Braaton is a NARC board member.
Escutia-Braaton notified StanCOG on Friday that the record of one of the Ritz hotel stays, for a NARC meeting in August 2022, costing $3,277 for three nights, was mistakenly connected with her.
The travel expenses for Escutia-Braaton, including first-class airfare, were higher than for other local elected officials who traveled on StanCOG business, according to records.
The regional transportation agency administers federal, state and local funding for roads, public transit and projects addressing transportation needs. Its representatives include county and city officials who may travel to meetings in California and Washington, D.C., to help advocate for local projects or gain knowledge of transportation issues.
Last week, StanCOG policy board members, comprising county and city representatives, voted 9-0 to fire Executive Director Rose De Leon Park following revelations of lavish spending of public money on rental cars, luxury hotel stays, first-class flights and expensive restaurants. The spending was detailed in a civil grand jury report released June 25.
The grand jury investigation found that Park drove rental cars almost nonstop from mid-2021 through 2024, amassing more than $100,000 in charges. They were often upscale vehicles such as BMWs or Mercedes, the report said.
Some officials suggest the regional transportation agency has gone awry due to lack of internal controls.
As a policy, the agency allows rental vehicles for staff or board members to attend meetings in other counties. Lopez had a rental vehicle for a month, April 17 to May 17, last year to attend out-of-county meetings. He logged 1,580 miles.
Records show he rented another vehicle for 11 more days (May 17-28), again for meetings in other counties.
Lopez most often rented vehicles from Enterprise in Modesto costing in the range of $60 to $80 per day. As an example, he drove a midsize luxury sport utility vehicle for three weeks in February 2024, costing $1,289.
A government watcher, who’s concerned about the issues at StanCOG, said there are times when a public official has an appropriate use for a rental car. “When you are using it for weeks on end, that is unacceptable,” said Nick Dokoozlian, chairman of the Stanislaus County Taxpayer Association.
Lopez did not return phone messages from The Bee but said in a statement Friday the rental vehicles used during his time as StanCOG chairman were authorized and used only for agency-related travel. “These trips were necessary to represent our region in key transportation discussions at the state and federal level, work that directly resulted in major investments for our local communities.” his statement said.
Lopez said all travel was conducted in compliance with agency policy.
In responding to The Bee’s records requests, StanCOG said computer equipment was not purchased for any other people on StanCOG’s 16-member policy board.
StanCOG General Counsel Monica Streeter said Wednesday the iPad was for Lopez to access board agendas and information during meetings and when he traveled on behalf of StanCOG. Streeter said via email the tablet will be returned to the agency, which indicates it was still in the former chairman’s possession.
Lopez’ statement said the iPad was purchased for agency business and is not his personal property. The device is being returned, the statement confirmed.
Dokoozlian said he was not surprised by the purchase of the Apple tablet, just disappointed. “Members of the [county] Board of Supervisors don’t have iPads purchased for them,” he said. “I have never heard of StanCOG or any agency buying equipment like that. There’s no reason to spend $2,800 on the newest iPad.”
Dokoozlian said he bought a new Apple laptop for $900.
Escutia-Braaton did not return messages concerning her stays in luxury hotels during travel for StanCOG. Records show hotel statements or reservations for Ritz-Carlton hotels in August 2022, September 2023 and February 2024.
The councilwoman said in July that she flew first class while on trips for StanCOG but reimbursed the agency for the upgrades. A record shows, however, that StanCOG reimbursed Escutia-Braaton for airfare for trips to Atlanta in June 2024 and to Washington, D.C., in February 2024. The form said it was for first-class airfare, costing a total of $3,424.
The councilwoman’s travel expenses were far higher than for other policy board members, records indicate.
Riverbank Mayor Rachel Hernandez had $2,874 in hotel charges for four nights at Le Meridien hotel in Washington in 2023. Other travel expenses for Hernandez were $482 at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento and $1,916 for two nights at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento.
Policy Board Chairman Buck Condit incurred $1,083 in hotel costs at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento and $1,357 for three nights at the Monterey Marriott in Febuary 2024.
Ceres mayor has been criticized for trips
Lopez has critics in Ceres who have chided him for leaving town for costly trips, including an International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Las Vegas costing $1,824 on his city credit card and three other trips in the first half of 2023, according to a Ceres Courier article.
Lopez has launched a campaign to run in 2026 for the congressional seat held by Rep. Adam Gray.
StanCOG records show Lopez was reimbursed $1,330 for a trip to Washington D.C., May 18-24 in 2024, for meals, fuel and other sundry expenses. The expenses on the form did not include big items such as hotel and airfare.
StanCOG officials have said reforms will be implemented going forward to deal with wasteful spending. There are eight staff members who have StanCOG-issued credit cards for making purchases for the agency.
Some officials have suggested that StanCOG start using cars from the county fleet to reduce its costs for rental vehicles.
Dokoozlian said the spending exposed at StanCOG shows that people were asleep at the wheel. “That is never OK,” he said. “Taxpayer dollars should be spent prudently. StanCOG as an organization needs to put in place meaningful reforms and ensure this does not happen again.”
UPDATE - This story was updated Aug. 15 with a statement from Ceres mayor and former StanCOG policy board chairman Javier Lopez.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 4:15 PM.
