The Chief Investigator Secretly Closing Deals For Verkada
The chief investigator charged with finding "fraud, waste, misconduct, and abuse" in a New Jersey county secretly helps close deals for Verkada at school districts within his jurisdiction, IPVM found in an investigation of public records.
Chief Investigator Gerard Dargan of the Bergen County Office of the Inspector General, assists Verkada in winning deals with Bergen County's schools, including trips to his beach house, despite county ethics codes prohibiting a county official from engaging in any business "which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest."
In this report, IPVM examines 87 emails obtained via a public records request which show that Dargan is directly involved with Verkada to close deals with Bergen County school systems.
Gerard ****** **********
****** "*****" ****** ** *** ***** Investigator ** ****** ******, *** ******'******* ** *** ********* ********** **** ** ** ********** ***** ******** (***), ** ***** ** ******** *** confirmed ** **** **** *** ***:
*** ****** ****** ****** ** *** Inspector ********* "******* **** ********* *** **********, accountability *** ********* ** ****** ****** government" *** "************ ********** ** *****, waste, ********** ** ***** ** ****** government":
**** ************, *** ********* ******* ** tasked **** ******** *** ****** ****** Counsel ** ********* ******** ** ***** violations. *** ****** *******, ** ****, refers **** ** ******** ******** ***/** civil *********** ********* ** ** *** and ********* ****** **** ** ******.
Bergen ******: "**** *** ******* ** ********* *******"
****** ****** ******** ** ******* ** IPVM, ******* ** "**** *** ******* on ********* *******". ****** *** *** reply ** ****'* ******** ******* ********.
Dargan: ****** ** *****, ******* * *****
** * ***** ** **** **** 600 ****** ******** ** ****, ***** Investigator ******'* ******* ***** ******* *** included ** *****. ****** ********** ******* three ***** ** ******* ********* ** messages ******** ******* ** ******* ******* deals.
**** *** ** ******** ** ******'* official ****** ****** ***** ******* **** in *** ** *** *********.
Map ****** ********* **** ****** ******* *******
***** ** * *** ******* *** 4 ****** ********* **** **** ******** contact ******* ****** *** *******.
"Anything *** ****"
** ** ***** *, **** ***** to****** *******, ************** ** ****** ******'* ****** School ********, ***** ************ ****** *****, "let ** **** ** ***** ******** you ****."
**** *** ******* ******** ** ** Verkada ******* ********* ***** ****** ******* to *** ** * **** ****:
"***** ****** *** **** *****" ** a ********* ** ** ***** * dinner ** ** ******* **********, **** hosted ** *******, *** ******** ** Dargan, *** *******.
"Jerry ******* ** **** *****"
***** **** **** ***, ** ** email **** *** ******** ******* ********* ***,*** ************** ** ******** ****** ******** in ****** ******, ** ******* ***** rep***** ******, *** ****, "***** ** ****!" in ******** ** ****** ********* **** all *** ******** ** ****** ****** went **** *** *** ***** ** off ** * **** *****.
*** ************** **** ****, "***** ******* to **** ***** **** ** ***** districts."
"I ** ****** *********"
** * **** *, **** *****, Chief *********************** ** ******* ****** ****** ****** officials **** ** ** "****** *********" to "**** *** ******* *** *******" of ****** *** ********** *******, *** included *** **** ***** ******:
****** **** ******* *** ********* *** attending * *** ** ****** ****** by ******* ** * *** ****** Italian ********** **** *** ********** ******* by ****:******* ****** ****** *** ****** *** Public ****** **************.
"Jerry's ***** *****"
*** **** ***,******* ***** *** ***** ************ ******** ************** *** *** ***** Investigator ****** *** ************ * ****** dinner:
***** ********* "*** **** ***" ** "Jerry's ***** *****":
********, ***** ***** *****, ************** *** mentions ** * ******* *** **** he **** ** "**** ***** **** shore" *** * **** ***** ** the ******, ** *** ****** ******** and ***** *** *** ** ********** their *********.
"Extensive" *** *********** **********
** * **** **, **** *****,***** ************ ***********, "** * *** **** ** any *** ****** ** *** ******** to ***** ***" *** ****** *** "extensive *** *********** *** ******** **********" and ******** *** **** ******:
*******,******* *******, *** ******** * ****** ******** in ***** ****** (******* ** ***** Investigator ******'* ************), ******** ** **** with ******/*******.
"Jerry ** ** **. ****** *** ***"
** * **** *, **** *****,**** ********, *** ************** ** *** ********* Public ****** ******** ** ****** ******, wrote ** *** ******* **** *********** about ******* *** ***** ********* *** not ***** *********:
****** *** *******, ************** *** *** alerted *** *****. *** ****** ***** (and ***** ******* ***** *** ******* email ** *** ******* ****), ************** Pinajian ********* ***, ********** ***** **** the **********, *******:
***** ** ** **. ****** *** man.
*** ****** *** *** ****** **** action ***** ************ ****** **** ** placate *** ******* ********* **************.
Bergen ****** ****** **** ********
********* ****** **** ** *********** **** "****** ********** ** *********" whenever ** ******** *** * ******** between ***** "******* ********* *** ****** duties":
*** **** ******* ***** **** "**" official ***** "****** ** *** ********" that "** ** *********** ********" **** their ****** ****** ** *** ****** interest:
*** *** ****, ********* *** $*** to $*,*** *** ********* **** ********* suspension, ********, ** *******, ** ****.
Verkada: ** ********
** ******** ** *** ********* ******** to ****** ****** ********* **** ******** no ********, **** **** ********* ******* multiple ***** **** *** ******** *** weeks, ********* ********** ******** *** ****** several *********. **** ******** ** ***** to *** ** *** *********.