NOW TAKE FLIGHT » Wings A GAME, AT LAST » Cardinal INEFFABLE MAGIC » Hardly

Over Wine Country airshow Newman’s new field will Strictly Bluegrass brings
soars Saturday, Sunday. A3 finally host some football. C1 new friends, old favorites. D1
WINNER OF THE 2018 PULITZER PRIZE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 • SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA • PRESSDEMOCRAT.COM

Complaint incredibly detailed

Whistleblower gathered
material meticulously,
sparking political storm
By GREG MILLER
WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — The whis-
Donald Rudy
tleblower’s identity remains ob-
Trump Giuliani
scured, the details of his work
for the CIA cloaked in secrecy.
CLAIMS OF COVER-UP But the document he delivered
Whistleblower: President abused his reveals almost as much about
office, then tried to hide abuses / A9 the investigative mission he
carried out in stealth as it does
about the alleged abuses of pow-
er by the president.
From the moment he learned
about President Donald Trump’s
attempts to extract political dirt
on former vice president Joe
Biden from the newly elected
leader of Ukraine on July 25,
the CIA officer behind the
whistleblower report moved
swiftly behind the scenes to
assemble material from at least
a half-dozen highly placed — and
equally dismayed — U.S. officials.
He wove their accounts with
other painstakingly gathered
material on everything from the
intervention of Trump’s person-
al lawyer Rudy Giuliani in the
U.S.-Ukraine relationship to al-
leged efforts by American diplo-
mats sent to Kiev and attorneys
in the Office of the White House
Counsel to contain or suppress
the accruing damage.
On Aug. 12, he delivered his
document — a nine-page ver-
sion of which was made public
on Thursday — to the intelli-
gence community’s inspector
general, triggering an almost
immediate clash between the
executive branch and Congress.
Six weeks later, the whis-
tleblower has by some measures
managed to exceed what former
special counsel Robert Mueller
III accomplished in two years of
investigating Trump: producing
a file so concerning and factually
sound that it has almost single-
handedly set in motion the gears
TURN TO WHISTLEBLOWER » PAGE A8

INSURANCE » Many 2017 victims about to lose temporary housing funds

Post-fire aid expiring Marlene Orozco

Latino
group
to track
equality
LOS CIEN » Effort to
show county’s economic,
political disparities
By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Sonoma County’s largest

Latino leadership group
announced Thursday the start
of a decadelong effort to track
major indicators of social,
economic and political disparity
between whites and Latinos
with an aim of promoting
greater equality in the region.
The campaign, labeled “Clos-
ing the Gaps,” will be driven in
part by a Sonoma County Lati-
no Scorecard that identified
BETH SCHLANKER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
10 categories “where we see the
Robin Gabbert and her husband, Con Jager, take in the construction site of their Fountaingrove condo Monday in Santa Rosa. greatest disparity for Latinos in
our county,” Oscar Chavez, as-
By BILL SWINDELL sistant director of the county’s
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Human Services Department,

S
ince retiring from her law practice,
Robin Gabbert feels like she’s had a
full-time job trying to rebuild after
the devastating 2017 North Bay wildfires.
Gabbert and her husband, Con Jager,
are like thousands of other fire survivors
who will not finish building new homes by
the second anniversary of the fires in ear-
ly October. Gabbert and Jager have been
hampered by numerous delays rebuilding
their Fountaingrove condominium, one
of 30 that burned down at the Stonefield
condo complex in Santa Rosa during the
Tubbs fire.
“It’s a constant drain. It’s exhausting,”
said Gabbert, who sits on the board of the
TURN TO INSURANCE » PAGE A2
told an audience of 650 people
who packed a Sonoma State Uni-
versity ballroom.
“For the first time, we’re
taking a deep dive into how to
change the conditions on a local
level,” Chavez said in an inter-
view, calling the scorecard “a
grand experiment.”
Chavez was one of three
speakers at the sixth annual
State of the Latino Community
in Sonoma County symposium
hosted by Los Cien, the leader-
ship group nearing the 10-year
anniversary of its founding in
KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT a back room at a Santa Rosa
Lisa Frazee, son Carl, 16, mom Gloria Sanchez and Howard Frazee inspect on Saturday the Wikiup restaurant.
lot where their house stood before it was destroyed in the Tubbs fire.
TURN TO LOS CIEN » PAGE A6

Castro talks climate change, raises funds

By TYLER SILVY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Democratic presidential candidate
Julian Castro on Thursday made a
fundraising stop in Sonoma County,
seeking a cash injection for a cam-
paign he says will end in little more
than a month should he fail to qualify
for the November debate.
The Sonoma County visit, orga-
nized by Puma Springs Vineyards
CEO Barbara Grasseschi at Windsor’s
El Gallo Negro restaurant, is part
of a California tour that saw Castro
bouncing in a low rider in Oakland on
Wednesday and will take him to San
Diego later this week.
Castro, whose home base is San
Antonio, Texas, drew cheers when
he called climate change the big-
gest threat to the nation’s future and
promised to immediately reverse one
of President Trump’s signature roll-
backs on environmental protection.
“My first executive order will be
to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord so
that we lead again on sustainability,”
Castro said.
The fundraiser lined up with an
emailed plea for donations. Pointing
to the need to hit 2% in four major
polls, Castro, who is averaging 1.3%,
told supporters he needs to fund
“emergency ads” to boost that polling.
Before Thursday, Castro had raised
less than $1,000 from Sonoma County
residents, according to the Federal
Election Commission. Scott Atlas, BETH SCHLANKER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
the campaign’s finance chairman, Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro
speaks with Winnie Hogoboom during a fundraiser at
TURN TO CASTRO » PAGE A7 El Gallo Negro restaurant in Windsor on Thursday.

Advice B7 Comics B6 Horoscopes B5 Nation-World B1 EPA’S DUBIOUS CLAIM: Agency claims SANTA ROSA ©2019
Business B8 Crossword B7 Lotto A2 Obituaries B3 California fails Clean Water Act as homeless High 72, Low 47 The Press
Democrat
Classified D9 Editorial A10 Movies D6 State news A6 people’s waste allegedly is everywhere / B1 THE WEATHER, C8
A2
INSURANCE
CONTINUED FROM A1
condo association and has
taken a key role helping
neighbors navigate re-
building challenges.
While fire survivors
have dealt with a variety
of obstacles delaying
completion of their new
homes, wrangling with
insurance companies has
been a common frustra-
tion. Now to make matters
worse, in less than two
weeks most of them face
the prospect of having
home insurers stop paying
for their monthly living
expenses.
Gabbert and Jager
hope to move into their
new condo by next April,
however their Allstate
insurance policy covers
only 24 months of tempo-
rary living costs. Allstate
has refused to extend
monthly rental payments
despite Gabbert’s pleas,
likely forcing the couple to
pay $3,500 a month for rent
plus the mortgage pay-
ment on their destroyed
condo.
“It’s all about the profits.
They say they are your
good neighbor, or Nation-
wide is on your side, or
they are the good hands
people, ... but you see what
their priority is,” Gabbert
said. Allstate said in a
statement it will continue
working with the couple
on their fire claim.
The specter of thou-
sands of Sonoma County
fire survivors still re-
building, but come early
October being forced to
pay their monthly living
costs on top of mortgages
for their burned homes
will have significant
ramifications. Some will
have to dip into their
retirement savings, while
others might opt to sell
their fire lots. Overall,
since nearly 85% of fire
survivors remain in some
stage of rebuilding, the
local economy is expected
The Press
Democrat
Owned locally by
Darius Anderson, Managing Member
Steve Falk, Chief Executive Officer
Bill Hooper, Chief Operating Officer
Board of Advisers
Darius Anderson, Chairman
Bill Jasper
Gary Nelson
Norma Person
Jean Schulz
Les Vadasz
Sandy Weill
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
BETH SCHLANKER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Robin Gabbert and her husband, Con Jager, view the construction site of their Fountaingrove condo in Santa Rosa on Monday.
to take a hit as they curtail said of the monthly living
discretionary spending in FIRE SURVIVOR
expense payments. If State
order to afford their living Farm stops the monthly
RALLY FOR
expenses without the bulk payments in October as
INSURANCE
paid by insurers. expected, she estimates
“I’m a little concerned
JUSTICE
that her family could
for everybody. It’s not go- When: Friday from 5 p.m. lose as much as $50,000
ing to put us in recession. to 7 p.m. before they can move into
… I think we are going to Where: Old Courthouse their new Wikiup house
lose some more (residents) Square, Santa Rosa sometime next year. “It’s
because of the October Why: To raise public a huge impact on what we
impact,” Redwood Credit awareness that many fire can do.”
Union CEO Brett Martinez survivors will lose their Some fire survivors are
said. monthly living expense irked because companies
Fire survivors’ futile payments from home that work for insurers to
attempts in recent months insurers in early Octo- handle rent payments and
to get home insurers to ber, two years after the other services such as fur-
extend coverage for tem- KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT 2017 wildfires; and urge niture rentals already have
porary home rental costs Carl Frazee, 16, holds his grandmother Gloria Sanchez’s hand insurers to extend those contacted them via written
is the latest skirmish in Saturday as they visit the barren lot of their Wikiup home payments. notices about the end of
what’s been for many two that was razed by the Tubbs fire two years ago. monthly living stipends.
years of insurance woes In some cases, people
after the 2017 blazes that fire, the most destructive AAA insurer for Northern Nationwide have been have said these expiration
killed 24 people in Sonoma in California at the time, California, and Farmers — cited by area fire survivors notices have been sent to
County. The Tubbs fire, caused nearly $9.5 billion are voluntarily extending and advocates for their in- landlords unbeknownst
the largest of regional of insured losses, while monthly living expense flexibility. In a statement, to fire survivors who are
infernos, torched 5,334 the Atlas fire in Napa payments for a third year Nationwide said, “We have tenants — with State Farm
homes in the county. That County resulted in $4.5 for 2017 fire victims. In late concluded that we are contractors being cited
billion of insured losses, May, Lara visited Santa applying the appropriate as a worst offender. The
according to the Insurance Rosa and announced he coverage for each individ- state insurance depart-
Information Institute. was making a request to ual based on the insuring ment is asking Sonoma
An estimated two-thirds insurers to provide the contract.” County residents to report
of Sonoma County fire one-year extension. Meanwhile, State Farm any misleading move-out
survivors were underin- “No other companies said in a statement that letters that have been sent
sured on their homes, with have informed me that “we will work closely with to landlords.
a few more than $1 million they intend to honor this our customers to address “I am concerned that
underwater, according to a request,” Lara wrote. their concerns and see if these notices may have
survey by United Policy- The frustration runs there is anything more we caused survivors more
holders, a nonprofit that deep for the county’s 2017 can do to support them in distress and confusion,”
assists consumers with fire survivors because the their recovery process.” Lara said.
insurance information. state Legislature passed a But Lisa Frazee and State Farm in a state-
Some people have sued law last year that extended her family, whose Wikiup ment said that sending
their insurers. Many were living expense payments home was destroyed in the such notifications to land-
angered their insurers from two to three years — Tubbs inferno, said that lords without the knowl-
required them to itemize beginning in September hasn’t been her experience edge of a policyholder “is
personal things destroyed 2018. Originally, the bill with State Farm. not consistent with our
in their homes to get full sponsored by state Sen. The Frazee family has approach to communicat-
payment for their claims, Bill Dodd, D-Napa, includ- taken a creative approach ing with our customers.”
even though their houses ed 2017 fire survivors, but to rebuilding, realiz- Jeff Okrepkie, who lost
were wiped out by the the insurance lobby suc- ing they are $300,000 to his Coffey Park home in
flames. ceeded in getting the ret- $400,000 underinsured on the fire and is the founder
“It sounds to me like roactive language deleted their burned home. Lisa of the neighborhood group
business as usual with from the measure before Frazee’s mom, Gloria San- Coffey Strong, is a Nation-
the insurance companies. lawmakers approved it. chez, also had her home wide policyholder who
You get what you are able For its part, the insur- gutted in the same fire, so received such a letter.
to negotiate,” said Amy ance industry contends she moved in with Frazee’s “I told them I’m not
Bach, executive director of that it’s adjusting to the family in a Windsor home moving until I’m done
United Policyholders. “The new prevalence of wild- while their new Wikiup (with my home),” Okrep-
pressure doesn’t seem to fires statewide, especially house is being built. kie said, noting his new
be moving the needle.” after paying billions in Frazee and her mom house likely won’t be
Exasperated fire sur- property owner claims both have received finished until December.
vivors will hold a rally for fires in 2017 and 2018. monthly rental payments Okrepkie said he has
Friday evening at Old Typically, home insurers from insurers which pleaded with Nationwide
Courthouse Square in can only boost premiums helps the family save for a monthly living
downtown Santa Rosa up to 6.9% a year without some money they can use expense extension, to
to exert last-ditch public the state insurance depart- toward construction of no avail even though he
pressure on home insurers ment Insurance allowing the Wikiup house. The works as an insurance
to extend monthly living policyholders to challenge new family home will agent.
expense payments beyond higher rate hike proposals include a granny unit for “Is it worth it to be
the two-year mark since through a hearing, said Sanchez, who plans to sell the bad guy for this one
the blazes. More than Rex Frazier, president of her property to help make instance?” he said of his
8,000 people have signed a the Personal Insurance up the difference in her request to Nationwide for
Change.org petition asking Federation of California, daughter’s underinsured two or three more months
insurers to extend the time which represents large property. Frazee has sent of living expenses.
limit. insurers. three letters to State Farm
California Insurance “There is a push and asking for a rent payment You can reach Staff Writer
Commissioner Ricar- pull,” Frazier said. “It extension and has received Bill Swindell at 707-521-
do Lara said this week takes a really long time to three denials. 5223 or bill.swindell@
that only two insurers raise prices.” “It’s our lifeline to being pressdemocrat.com. On
— CSAA Insurance, the Both State Farm and able to rebuild,” Frazee Twitter @BillSwindell.
GENERAL NEWSROOM ADVERTISING TODAY IN HISTORY LOTTERY GAMES
707-546-2020
M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
707-526-8585
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Outside Santa Rosa: 800-675-5056
Classified:
707-546-7355
1779: John Adams was named
by Congress to negotiate the
TUESDAY, SEPT. 24, 2019, DRAW
Mega Millions Jackpot $227 million
Address: 427 Mendocino Ave., M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Revolutionary War’s peace terms
Fax: 707-521-5330 Petaluma: 795-2223 06 14 24 42 46 09 Mega
Santa Rosa 95401 with Britain.
Website: info@pressdemocrat.com Toll-free: 800-649-5056 SEPT. 27, 2019, JACKPOT: $40 MILLION
Chief Executive Officer/Publisher: Steve Falk 1942: Glenn Miller and his Orches-
Chief Financial Officer: Stephen Daniels Executive Editor: Catherine Barnett www.pressdemocrat.com
Chief Revenue Officer: Karleen Arnink-Pate Managing Editor: Ted Appel Display: tra performed together for the
Deputy Managing Editor: Eric Wittmershaus WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2019, DRAW
Chief Digital Revenue Officer: 707-546-2020, ext. 0 last time, at the Central Theater
Jose del Castillo Staff directory: pressdemocrat.com/staff Powerball Jackpot $40 million
Chief Operations Officer: Troy Niday
M-F, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in Passaic, New Jersey, prior to
Digital Director: Annika Toernqvist Miller’s entry into the Army. 37 43 44 45 53 25 Power
1964: The government publicly SEPT. 28, 2019, JACKPOT: $50 MILLION
SUBSCRIPTIONS released the report of the Warren
Commission, which concluded
Phone: 707-575-7500 | Email: help@pressdemocrat.com | throughout the year. For each premium issue, your account will be charged up to WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2019, DRAW
Self Service: www.pressdemocrat.com/login $4.00 in the billing period when the issue is delivered. This will adjust the length that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted Super Lotto Plus Jackpot $13 million
Call Center Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Sat. and holidays
of your subscription. Credit is not available for most temporary suspensions of alone in assassinating President
6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Sun. 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
print delivery, as access to digital content continues during this time. Prices are
John F. Kennedy. 03 07 11 13 26 12 Mega
subject to change and include applicable state and local sales taxes. If payments
Missed Deliveries: For delivery of a missed paper, call between are not received by the expiration date of the current payment period, deliveries SEPT. 28, 2019, JACKPOT: $14 MILLION
6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Same-day redelivery is available in most and electronic access will continue and will be billed for up to 60 days or until
Sonoma County areas. we are contacted to stop delivery. FOR THE RECORD
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Press Democrat, 5505 Redwood THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 2019, DRAWS
WEEKLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. The Press Democrat is published daily by DAILY 3 (MIDDAY) 0 8 4
Print & Digital: Daily $12 | Sunday Only $5.50 | Wed-Sun $10 | Sonoma Media Investments, LLC, 427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401. If you find an error on our news DAILY 3 (EVENING) 0 7 2
Fri-Sun $7.50. All rates include print delivery, unlimited access to Periodical postage paid in Santa Rosa, CA, and at additional mailing offices.
pages, please let us know; call
pressdemocrat.com, the eEdition (an exact replica of each day’s print USPS 443-200 ISSN 0747-220X. DAILY 4 9 8 9 9
edition), and The Press Democrat app. Print: $7.10. Prices are higher in PLEASE RECYCLE: The Press Democrat is mostly printed on recycled
526-8585 or email pdnews@ FANTASY 5 1 2 17 20 25
certain outlying areas. Digital Only: $4.95. newsprint. We encourage recycling. Newspaper bags can be recycled at many pressdemocrat.com.
Home delivery: All print subscriptions include six premium issues delivered local grocery stores. For details, go to recyclenow.org.