Lawsuit Alleges Wrongful Termination and Retaliation by SANDAG Following Audit Concerns Raised by Finance Director Lauren Warrem

The firing of a senior finance officer at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has brought attention to long-standing business practices within the regional planning agency. The termination of finance director Lauren Warrem last month, without a stated reason, has prompted a retaliation lawsuit from Warrem. She claims she was let go after raising questions about an audit into payments made by SANDAG to a vendor and sub-vendor for technology that does not work and wrongly charged drivers for a toll road they did not use.

Warrem’s lawsuit alleges that she was fired for opposing the misrepresentation or omission of financial information in the audit and for disclosing that information. This firing comes after scathing findings were issued by SANDAG’s independent auditor regarding the agency’s management. It also occurs just before the departure of longtime chief executive Hasan Ikhrata.

According to the lawsuit, Warrem raised concerns during a meeting about flawed technology governing toll charges on a section of state Route 125. She and others had previously identified bugs in the technology that led to incorrect toll charges. During a meeting in October, Warrem claims she was shouted down by her supervisor when questioning whether the billing inaccuracies could be resolved. In a subsequent meeting, she was summarily dismissed via text message.

The lawsuit accuses SANDAG of wrongful termination and retaliation. SANDAG officials have declined to comment on the pending litigation. However, many of the business practices raised in the lawsuit have been highlighted by auditors in previous reports. The agency has defended its work, stating that it followed standard procurement practices and had since resolved some of the issues.

SANDAG is a regional planning agency responsible for addressing transportation, air quality, and economic development issues in the San Diego area. The agency has a budget of $1.2 billion and is one of the largest spending public agencies in the county. El Cajon mayor and SANDAG board member Bill Wells has called for an independent review of the claims made by Warrem.

The revelations about SANDAG’s business practices have raised concerns about oversight and accountability within the agency. The findings from the audits and the retaliation lawsuit highlight the need for transparency and improved governance to ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately. This case also underscores the importance of whistleblowers in exposing potential wrongdoing and holding public agencies accountable.