2/17/05 Rodoni cleared

RODONI CLEARED: The Fair Political Practices Commission last week let it be known that it had concluded its investigation of Supervisor Roger Rodoni and that no charges would be filed against him. The commission received complaints about Rodoni nearly two years ago, when the supervisor joined a 4-1 board majority denying District Attorney Paul Gallegos' request to hire help in his fraud suit against the Pacific Lumber Co. Rodoni has leased a 9,000-acre southern Humboldt ranch from the company for more than 30 years -- at the time of the vote, he was paying $350 per month for the lease. Rodoni did not return the Journal's calls or provide a copy of a letter the FPPC sent him; according to the Times-Standard, the letter stated that FPPC staff found that there was "insufficient evidence" that Rodoni received a discounted rate on the lease.