Candidate for County Assessor Barbara Bry has been referred to criminal investigators. A spokesperson for City Attorney Mara Elliot confirmed the referral but did not provide any other details.
Bry previously served on the San Diego City Council in District 1 and was elected in 2016. She ran for Mayor in 2020 but lost out in the November election to Todd Gloria. She is currently running for County Assessor against Firefighter-endorsed candidate Jordan Marks. In emails, Senior Chief Deputy City Attorney Mark Ankcorn said that criminal matters have taken place and that a criminal investigation should be opened. Bry’s husband, Neil Senturia, is currently involved in a qui tam lawsuit against Invitation Homes, a national leasing company. The lawsuit claims that Invitation Homes avoided paying permit fees for renovations on properties all around California, including here in San Diego. According to former U.S Attorney Charles La Bella, Bry and her husband signed a prenup in 2000. The prenup stated that Bry would have no interest in Senturia’s business. But on her Form 700s, a disclosure form that outlines the income, holdings, and gifts of public officials, Bry listed his companies, along with failing to say that those companies benefited her husband and not her. It also seems Bry tried to seal the record and not have these documents revealed.
With the investigation still ongoing, City Attorney Mara Elliot can not comment on the matter; “We don’t discuss the content of law enforcement referrals or investigations, “ says Senior Public Information Officer Leslie Wolf Branscomb. There will be much more to come from this story as the investigation continues. You can read the legal documents regarding the case at the links below.
copier@sandiego.gov_20211216_154219_Redacted
Photo Cred: Eduardo Contreras / The San Diego Union-Tribune
