County records dispute supervisor’s excuse after she missed deciding vote

SAN DIEGO COUNTY (KGTV) — The chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors claimed she had a doctor’s appointment when she walked out of a meeting last month and later posted a video on Instagram at a Padres playoff game. However, county records of Supervisor Nora Vargas’ calendar obtained by ABC 10News do not show a doctor’s appointment on October 8.
Vargas moved all of her items to the front of the October 8 meeting agenda and then walked out abruptly in the afternoon, missing a consequential vote on a gun procurement ordinance. Then, she posted a story on her personal Instagram account from Petco Park, celebrating a Fernando Tatis Jr. home run in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
ABC 10News made multiple attempts on October 8 and October 9 to reach Vargas’ team regarding the reason for her absence but never received a response.
After seeing Vargas outside the County Administration Building, ABC 10News asked her why she missed the vote and where she went. Vargas told ABC 10News she had a doctor’s appointment and that “all of my information is public. Go ahead and ask anything you like.”
So, ABC 10News did that and asked Vargas’ press secretary for her calendar. Her press secretary said in an email Vargas “had a medical issue to attend to”, and said her calendar could be obtained through a public records request.
ABC 10News filed an open records request for her calendar and messages. The records are public, and any member of the public can ask for them.
Two weeks later, ABC 10News received the access to Vargas’ calendar and messages.
Some of the messages were blacked out entirely, but her October 8 calendar is not. It clearly lists the Board of Supervisors meeting from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and then a block made by Vargas from 5-6 p.m. Vargas’ alleged doctor’s appointment is not on the calendar, as she suggested. The game started at 6:08 p.m.
On Monday, ABC 10News asked Vargas’ press secretary why Vargas’ calendar didn’t show the appointment she said she was at. The request for comment was not returned.
The records request also revealed another piece of information. On October 8, Vargas sent text messages to California State Treasurer Fiona Ma. The day before, Ma visited Imperial Beach to see the sewage crisis first-hand.
The same day as the messages, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, including Vargas, voted no against Terra Lawson-Remer’s request for a superfund designation.
Vargas texted Ma, “Wish you would have called me on the super fund- this is my district and honestly no one reached out before- I’m going to ask that you hold off- you and I know each other well and I can as-ure you my district is my priority and so I ask for you to hold off please.”
The vote Vargas missed was brought forth by Lawson-Remer. It eventually passed at the next meeting when Vargas was present. ABC 10News asked Vargas’ team Monday if her absence was a political move against Lawson-Remer. The request for comment went unanswered.