A History of Failures, 3 of 4

THE SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE

As is usual throughout the Credit Union industry, business is beginning to slow down at Priority One Credit Union and will continue to do so until the end of January 2015, when it will gradually increase. Though this has been a common phenomena at the Credit Union for many decades, the failure of President Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. to introduce strategies that might have amassed profit throughout 2014, only serves to add to Priority One's ongoing financial burdens. The failures incurred in 2014 only mirror those which have become the norm at the Credit Union since he began serving as President on January 1, 2007. Prior to his appointment, Priority One was a thriving and growing organization that flourished under the competent leadership of his predecessors. 

On January 1, 2007, the President inherited an organization whose net worth exceeded $172 million and which possessed nine (9) branches. Also, at the end of 2006, Priority One experienced a substantial increase of its net worth and physical size as a result of a merger with Inland Counties Federal Credit Union in Riverside County, California. The acquisition of Riverside County provided the Credit Union a vast new resources which under a competent President, would have enabled the Credit Union to promote its name and products in a territory exceeding 7000 square miles in size and a means by which to acquire potentially unlimited numbers of new members.

Regrettably, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. would bring an abrupt end to Priority One's expansion and due to what appears to be a complete lack of motivation and incompetence, fail year after year, to develop strategies designed to market the Credit Union's name and products.One cause to the Credit Union's unraveling might be cited in a January 2007 statement, in which the President boasted, "My AVP's will bring in the business while I just sit back." His expensive and unqualified AVP sector failed to cultivate business within their assigned region at a level which would have amassed profit, promoted growth, and enabled to the Credit Union to offset its overhead. Despite their failure, President Wiggington continued to languish comfortably in his office, spending a typical work day playing on the Internet, talking on his company paid cellular for hours each day conversing to his aunt, uncle and wife and leaving the office for 2 1/2 to 3 hours each day for lunch. The Credit Union founded in 1926 began to quickly unravel which the apathetic and unqualified Board of Directors under leadership of its Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, donned an apathetic stance, watching the hard of the President's predecessors buckle under the incompetence of its horrendous President and his bumbling staff. 

On January 4, 2007, the President promised to introduce state-of-the-art technologies that would thrust Priority One into the 22nd century and enable it to rival larger, richer Credit Union. That year, he spent Credit Union monies purchasing an updated version of Outlook Mail and a $600,000 telephone system which he chose without consulting his executive staff and whose subsequent technical problems would force the Credit Union to spend huge amounts in repair costs over the next seven (7) years. 

But President Wiggington's failures could never have been enabled were it not for the Board of Directors and more specifically, its Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks. Under her tutelage, the Credit Union has hemorrhaged losses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was she who in late 2006, led her confederates in deciding that Charles R. Wiggington was the best, most qualified person to succeed former President, William E. Harris. Immediately following the Board's announcement that Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. would be the next President, Directors, Thomas Gathers, O. Glen Saffold, and Janice Irving disclosed they selected Mr. Wiggington because what the Credit Union needed most was a "Black president" while Mrs. Harris-Brooks would assert he'd been selected from amongst a group of better qualified candidates because of Mr. Wiggington's "past" experience at Bank of America. Inarguably, neither his skin color or banking experience proved beneficial in leading the rapidly shrinking Credit Union. 

Without question, the Board ignored competence, a tangible record of proven accomplishments, ethics, and character as factors in selecting Mr. Wiggington. In the end, it is the Board of Directors who enabled ruination of the once robust Credit Union.

HIS REALITY IS MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S!

We're not proponents of lying but if you're going to lie, make sure know one knows the truth. Over the years, Charles R. Wiggingon, Sr. has proven an insatiable propensity for fabricating stories which alter his personal history and serve to embellish who he is and what he's done. His stories about his sexual escapades, his above-average intellect, his accomplishments while employed by Bank of America, and his boasting about his palatial estate and fleet of BMW's. Unfortunately for President Wiggington, his embellishments have often been proven to be untrue, reducing his verbalizations to mere conjecture from a man who may be dissatisfied by how his life turned out.  

Recently, while perusing the Internet, we happened upon several of the President's biographies and noticed he has subtly altered his employment history by omitting all references that he once served as Priority One's Vice President of Operations during the years of 1992 though the 1996. His omission constitutes fraud. It is important to note that his biographies were created by consultants who merely documented the information they were provided by the President and his Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock. Before the biographies were published, someone at the Credit Union had to proofread the drafts to ensure they were correct. Evidently, the President hopes that omitting his role as Vice President of Operations will somehow serve to enhance his employment history while at Priority One Credit Union. 

Here is one of the biographies and resumes we located during our search. We've segmented it for the purposes of our review. The biography and resume can be viewed at https://www.resume.com/charlesrwiggingtonsr.

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr.

Summary

#1
Executive Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., holds more than 35 years of experience in the savings and loans industry, holding NUMEROUS leadership positions with banking institutions, credit unions, and other financial services firms throughout his career. Presently, Charles R. Wiggington serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Priority One Credit Union which he joined in 1992. Leading HIS company, Mr. Wiggington presides over all of Priority One's operations,  providing directorship over investments, budgeting, loan portfolio management, and other administrative matters. 

President Wiggington was hired in 1992 as Vice President of Operations but as stated previously, was not promoted to President until January 1,  2007. The omission implies he was hired in 1992 in he capacity of Vice President of Operations, which is wholly untrue. The Credit Union is Member-Owned and not owned by Mr. Wiggington dispelling any suggestion that the organization is "his." 

#2

Prior to joining Priority One, Mr. Wiggington served as Vice President of Operations at Security Pacific National Bank. He served the company for nearly a decade, directing branch operations such as losses, maximum profitability, audits, expense control, staffing development and circulation, and customer relations.  

• It is incredible that an allegedly accomplished Officer like President Wiggington with extensive experience in operations is the same person who caused Priority one to lose six (6) of its nine (9) branches during the years of October 2010 through January 2014. The former Vice of Operations at Security Pacific National Bank seemed impotent in implementing the Credit Union's security protocols in 2007, when he allowed the mailing of ballots to Members on whose exterior were printed Member social security and Credit Union account numbers. 
• He again seemed completely helpless and incapable of reining in his own behaviors and was found guilty of sexual harassment during a 2008 investigation conducted by EXTTI, Inc. 
• While serving in the capacity of Vice President of Operations at Priority One Credit Union, Mr. Wiggington could not control his emotions and urges and approved a more than $30,000 automobile loan to a Member whose FICO score was 518 and whose credit report referenced a bankruptcy, unpaid accounts, and charge-offs. 
• While serving as Vice President of Operations at Priority One Credit Union he also assigned lending approval rights to the Valencia Branch Manager. She would subsequently approve several loans that all became delinquent and subject to collection proceedings. At the time, the Mr. Wiggington exclaimed, "If I go down, I'm taking her with me." 
• Audits conducted in late 2009 and in 2013, revealed internal thefts committed by branch personnel though the thefts were not discovered as a result of the Credit Union's security protocols but reported by Members who discovered the thefts. 

Conspicuously, note that there is no reference to his accomplishments while employed by Security Pacific National Bank.  

#3

Additionally, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., has held other executive roles of varying degrees since 1977, accumulating vast expertise in managing savings and loans operations. After leaving Bank of America in 1979, where he held a position as a Teller, Mr. Wiggington joined California Federal Savings and Loans, serving the company as Senior Savings Officer. At California Federal Savings and Loans, Mr. Wiggington oversaw the company's savings department, responsible for department reports, wire transfers, second trust deed note collections, and general ledger balances. He then joined Allstate Savings and Loans in 1982, acting as Branch Manager. There, Mr. Wiggington presided over all operations within the company's savings branch, including branch losses, expense control, business development, security, and budget attainment. 

The President of course, offers nothing tangible to quantify his alleged past experience, however, if we gauge his vast expertise solely on his performance as President of Priority One Credit Union, we'd have to conclude that his biography is just another far-fetched concoction intended to create the impression of competency which he clearly doesn't possess. 

Note: California Federal Savings and Loans and Allstate Savings and Loan, no longer exist.

#4

A graduate of California State University, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., holds a Bachelor of Arts in History. An active member of his local community, Mr. Wiggington has served as Board Treasurer of the Silverlake Neighborhood Council and as a volunteer basketball coach for the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Center.

The President's degree is in Afro-American studies though what he learned about Afro-American culture was never utilized in creating ties with the large Afro-American membership.  The President has also not served as the Board Treasurer of the Silverlake Neighborhood Council for many years before his biographies were published across the Internet. 

Resume

Also published alongside his biography, is the President's resume in which he states he has served as President and CEO of Priority One, "which he joined in 1992." It may be subtle, but his reference is yet another lie. He was hired in 1992 as Vice President of Operations. He held the position for the next 15 years until he was promoted to President in 2007. So why does he omit all reference to the fact he was the Vice President of Operations? Poor Charles Wiggington, he's never met a truth he couldn't distort. 

#5- Objectives

Serves as President and Chief Executive Office of Priority One Credit Union, which he joined in 1992.

The objective in a person's resume defines the type of position a candidate is seeking in a new position and serves to elucidate their personal goal in seeking employment. Evidently, expensive consultants paid for with Credit Union monies and despite having a highly experienced Executive Vice President (Rodger Smock) on payroll, the President is quite incapable of understanding the purpose of the objective and merely provides us again, with his official title and the year he was hired by the Credit union.

#6- Education

California State University 

California State University, South Pasadena, CA

Graduated: June 1979 

Grade: 

President Wiggington fails to provides his GPA. 

#7- Employment History

March 1992 – Present: President/CEO 

Company: Priority One Credit Union 

South Pasadena, CA

Oversees the complete operation of the Credit Union and all branches. Has the overall responsibilities of financials, investments, loan portfolio, budget, and operational requirements. Represents the credit union at various organizations, makes presentations, attends events, etc. Reports to the Board of Directors making recommendations on operational issues.

Again, there is no reference to the fact he was the Vice President of Operations during the years of 1992 through 2007. 

Also, the President has not made presentations and certainly has refused to establish relations with Member-Owners. His "recommendations on operational issues" is certainly a point of dispute if only because he has demonstrated tremendous ignorance about operational issues and solutions affecting the Credit Union's operation. 

#8

February 1983 – March 1992: Vice President of Operations 

Company: Security Pacific National Bank 

Los Angeles, CA

Managed and directed all operations for a full service branch, including branch losses, maximum branch profitability, audits, completions of all daily cash, customer relations, expense control employee development and turnover.

#9

July 1982 – December 1982: Branch Manager 

Company: Allstate Savings and Loan 

Glendale, CA

Responsibilities for the savings growth, general and administrative expense control, branch losses, and maximum branch profitability, business development, customer relations, employee development and turnover, maintenance, security, budget attainment.

#10

December 1977 – January 1979: Bank of America 

Company: Bank of America

Los Angeles, CA

Cash handling and balancing, customer satisfaction and service

#11- Professional Skills

Customer Service- Expert

Customer Service issues and problems have plagued the Credit Union since Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. began serving as President and CEO. His alleged expertise is another lie. Unlike his predecessor, President Wiggington refuses to meet or speak to Members calling his office and has never demonstrated a desire to build and maintain relations with the Credit Union's membership. 

#12 Hobbies & Interests

Customer Service

It's incredulous that this President would claim to have a hobby and interest in customer service when as mentioned before in this post, for years he's maintained a closed door policy to Members and has made no effort to resolve the Credit Union's chronic member service issues. 

The President's alteration of his actual employment history is intended to embellish his employment and supposed expertise. However, his claims to expertise in operations, leadership and customer service are laid waste by the horrendous internal issues plaguing Priority One's operations and member service. What's more, his inference is that he's been President of the Credit Union since 1992, which constitutes yet another lie from a man who has no desire to conduct himself in a manner that is ethical or responsible. 

Source: https://www.resume.com/charlesrwiggingtonsr

HIDING

"I never said anything to her." 

Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., July 15, 2008

If we've learned anything from some of the President's outlandish acts, its that when exposed, he scurries hides behind the Board of Directors, Human Resources aka Employee Services, and/or behind expensive attorneys. Through the years, his protectors have produced a myriad of lies and excuses intended to exonerate the President of all wrong doing. When the President chose to violate policy and laws, it was ultimately his  staff who suffered most.

In 2008, the Credit Union's attorney, William Adler, of Styskal, Wiese and Melchione, located in Glendale, California, received a letter from a former employee of Priority One, informing them that she had been victimized by Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. who for a few years, subjected her to unwelcome salacious comments in addition to inappropriate touching. 

The attorney met with the Board of Directors and informed them that an investigation must be conducted during which President Wiggington would be placed on suspension. A meeting was convened with the President who was informed of the accusations and who was told he was being placed on suspension though Mrs. Harris-Brooks told him he would be suspended with pay. Historically, all employees placed on suspension are not paid during the days they are on suspension. It is important to also note that there has never been exceptions to this, either before or after President Wiggington's suspension.

During the President's approximate eight (8) week suspension, a detective who is also an attorney from EXTTI. Inc., interviewed numerous employee witnesses who allegedly witnessed the President's inappropriate sexualized statements and actions to a former employee. At the conclusion of his investigation, the investigator met with the Board to present his findings. However, even before the meeting took place, Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, had determined herself to ignore the evidence and reinstate President Wiggington irrelevant of the findings. She extended an invitation to Directors, O. Glen Saffold and Thomas Gathers and Supervisory Committee Chair, Cornelia Simmons. The Directors and Supervisory Chair were loyal to Mrs. Harris-Brooks and as the event would prove, would concede to her efforts to ignore and squash the evidence and exact every effort to ensure the President was reinstated quietly and without further incident. Unfortunately for Mrs. Harris-Brooks, her effort would not proceed quite as smoothly as she planned. 

The day before the meeting, uninvited Director, Janice Irving was contacted and informed that Mrs. Harris-Brooks had scheduled a meeting in South Pasadena to hear the evidence gathered by the investigator but had purposely not invited either Mrs. Irving or Director, Joe Marchica. Mrs. Irving contacted Mr. Marchica and the two showed up at the meeting just prior to its start. Mrs. Harris-Brooks was discombobulated by their appearance and tried to convince them that th meeting was not sufficiently important to warrant attendance of all the Directors. Of course, Mrs. Harris-Brooks excuse was absurd and very much a la Wiggington in style. Mrs. Harris-Brooks' effort failed and Mrs. Irving and Mr. Marchica not only listened to the evidence gathered by the investigator but were the two dissenting votes who wanted the President terminated for sexual harassment. 

Mrs. Harris-Brooks, O. Glen Saffold, Thomas Gathers, and Cornelia Simmons ignored the evidence proving Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. had indeed sexually harassed an employee as witnessed by more than four (4) employees. The decision by Mrs. Harris-Brooks and her confederates to reinstate the President proved they had no concern over the well-being and safety of employees, over the reputation of the Credit Union as a business and employer,. and clearly had no interest in the potential legal implications and legal costs that were spent during the investigation and that might again be spent should another similar incident again occur. 

After the meeting, Mrs. Irving contacted an employee of the South Pasadena branch and revealed that Mrs. Harris-Brooks and her allies ignored the evidence presented by the investigator and disregarded the investigator's recommendation they terminate the President, voting instead for his reinstatement.

And though it was Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. who was found guilty of verbalized sexual comments to a former employees and of occasionally squeezing her knees and thighs, it was the entire staff who would be subjected to remedial efforts that should have been solely directed to President Wiggington. After all, in its more than eighty (80) year history, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr., the President and CEO, was the only person ever accused and found guilty of sexual harassment. Mrs. Harris-Brooks mailed letters to the VICTIM and the President, advising each that sexual harassment as defined under federal law, never occurred. Mrs. Harris-Brooks also disclosed that the VICTIM had participated and encouraged the President's sexualized verbalizations and behaviors and that some of the witnesses had interpreted the sexualized exchanges as nothing more than inappropriate jesting. Mrs. Harris-Brooks' intent was to invalidate an illegal act and reduce it to nothing more than a series of acts grounded in humor. Mrs. Harris-Brooks further victimized the former employee and tried earnestly to reduce the then fifty-some year old President's statements to the employee- "I'm gonna whip your ass", "you need a good whipping"and "I'm gonna sop you up like gravy" to playful exchanges. 

Here is a copy of the letter, written by the VICTIM and sent to attorney, William Adler, and which would be the catalyst for the subsequent investigation:

Here is a copy of the letter sent by the Board Chair to President Wiggington, disclosing the Board's findings:

In the first page, Mrs. Harris-Brooks states, “Based on the facts available to us we have concluded that numerous exchanges occurred between you and [the former employee] during the course of her employment at the Credit Union. Behavior during this time included EXCHANGES initiated by BOTH YOU AND [the former employee] and [the former employee] also alleged that an improper GESTURE and COMMENT   was made by you at an office holiday party…”

"Based on the facts available to us?" Is Mrs. Harris-Brooks stating that there were facts not presented to the Board? Mrs. Harris-Brooks lied in her politically-fueled response. During the investigation, several employees attested that during a pre-Christmas party conducted at Charlie’s Trio in South Pasadena, California, the President, in the presence of several employees, ordered the employee to walk to where he sat so he could "whip your ass." He also told her, "You know you want it." All employees witnessing the incident, told the investigator that the employee never responded to the President, remaining quietly seated with co-workers. Mrs. Harris-Brooks continued:

“GIVEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE NATURE OF THE EXCHANGE RISES TO THE LEVEL OF AN UNLAWFUL, HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.

The problem with Mrs. Harris-Brooks is that the Board’s conclusion relied upon their “understanding of the circumstances.” Mrs. Harris-Brooks' personal prime directive is to ensure that there are no changes impacting the Board who are completely loyal to her agendas. In 2007, Mrs. Harris-Brooks retaliated against the only White Board Director, chastising him for delivering an anonymous letter mailed to his residence and which exposed a then AVP of abusing her checking account privileges. The result of an investigation would later prove the AVP had knowingly kited using checking accounts held at three (3) different institutions, including Priority One Credit Union. Mrs. Harris-Brooks told the Director that he should have instead, submitted the letter to the Board so that they could resolve the accusations against the AVP. Mrs. Harris-Brooks had deluded herself into believing she possesses the intellect, knowledge of federal laws, and ethics needed to investigate a federal offense. We believe that if she had been given the letter, the federal offense would have been quickly squashed, just as she squashed the investigator’s findings which proved Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. sexually harassed a former employee.

Continuing, Mrs. Harris Brooks admits the sexualized comments and unsolicited physical touching were “not consistent with the Credit Union’s standards of conduct” but based her actions and that of the Board, insufficient to warrant the President's termination.

A few weeks after the President was reinstated, a meeting was conducted at the main branch in South Pasadena, California, which all employees were required to attend. The meeting- a seminar about sexual harassment was conducted by an officer of EXTTI, Inc. Just prior to the start of the meeting, Mrs. Harris-brooks in her typical controlling manner, walked through the Loan Department, where the meeting took place, and ordered all employee to sit directly in front of the podium while she, the Board and the President, sat at the back of the room, behind employees. 

During the meeting, employees were informed about what constitutes sexual harassment and were instructed to report incidents they believe are sexual harassment to their Human Resources, to the Board Chair or the Supervisory Committee Chair. The absurdity of the recommendations doesn't elude us. It was Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, who is also the Director of Human Resources, who told the investigator that he was present during the party and other incidents when the President made inappropriate sexualized statements and that in his opinion, the President and the employee were "joking around." Furthermore, it was Mrs. Harris-Brooks and the Supervisory Committee Chair who voted for the President's reinstatement. So why then, would any employee report suspected incidents of sexual harassment to either Human Resources, the Board Chair, or Supervisory Committee Chair? Due to the ethical make-up of the Human Resources Department and the Board and Supervisory Committee's Chairs, we instead recommend employees contact the Department of Fair Employment and Housing should they believe they are the victims of sexual harassment. 

On page two of her letter to the President, Mrs. Harris-Brooks states, ".... be mindful regarding the level of familiarity of that dialogue." It's incredible that the then 53 year old President had to be reminded that he must be "mindful" of what he says. Over the years, its is Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. who has most violated Credit Union policies and state and federal laws. He has proven he cannot control his verbalizations, even about highly confidential and inappropriate subjects. His violations have often placed Priority One in legally precarious positions, forcing the hiring of expensive attorneys and consultants who have been paid to fabricate defenses which subvert lawsuits and complaints and avoid what would assuredly be costly and embarrassing court trials.  

Mrs. Harris-Brooks also states, "...we instruct you to maintain a high standard of professionalism and to take care as possible perceptions inconsistent with OUR standards of conduct and Unlawful Harassment policies in conversations with volunteers, EMPLOYEES and members at the Credit Union."  Mrs. Harris-Brooks' letter is nothing more than a means by which to create the appearance the Board did its due diligence and took action after conducting a fair and impartial investigation. There was nothing wrong with the investigation because it was conducted by an investigator who was both ethical and intelligent however, Mrs. Harris-Brooks' response to the evidence is what turned this case into a travesty and proved that the Board Chair had absolutely no qualms in trying to cover up an offense of federal law. 

The following pages are excerpts of documentation provided to all employees attending the 2008 sexual harassment seminar though logically, the only person who should have been present was the Credit Union's sole violator of sexual harassment laws- Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. 

THE REAL

Since the inception of this blog in January 2009, the President often accused us of victimizing him and described us as jealous employees who wanted to take his job. As is often the case with any of the President's exclamations, his assessment was quite amiss. We don't have a desire to take his position. We never have. We would like, however, to see him replaced by a man or woman who is competent, ethical and committed to seeking the best interests of Members and employees. We don't believe we're being unreasonable though we have no doubt that the childish President would take issue with anything we have to say. 

During the years of 2007 through 2009, the President boldly violated state and federal laws, subjecting many employees to harassment, retaliation and overt violations of federal law. In 2010, after the Credit Union received its first notice they were being sued by the former Burbank Branch Manager, the President and his herd, hurried to cover-up evidence of wrong doing and even initiated a review of personnel files to remove anything that could be viewed as a violation of federal law. 

In 2007, at the time he was appointed President, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. was appointed an attractive and well-liked Administrative Assistant to manage all of his clerical needs. The young woman, an Afro-American, was well-liked by staff though the President spent months criticizing her openly to non-management personnel and maligning her reputation and work ethic. The best way to describe his hostile attitude towards her is bullying. After a few months it became apparent that the President seemed jealous of her popularity. On her birthday, employees from all departments left gifts and food atop her desk while on Charles R. Wiggington, Sr.'s birthday, he received a card from his executive staff. The President also frequently described her "looks", stating that she wasn't what he wanted in an assistant. Evidently, President Wiggington doesn't own a mirror. 

During a luncheon for federal retirees, the President complained that his assistant refused to accompany him to weekend events and that he was going to have to do something to "let her know I mean business."  Realistically, there was no logical reason for her to accompany him to weekend events. His reason for demanding her presence was merely that he wanted people outside the Credit Union to know he was President of the Credit Union and that he had a "secretary" (actually, administrative assistant). 

In late 2009, his personal attacks increased as he berated his assistant to more and more people, including then COO, Beatrice Walker. His attacks were willingly and always aided by Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, who enabled the President's abuses and even assisted in the issuance of written warning to the victimized assistant. 

In late 2009, the Executive Vice President provided the President and COO with the names of employees he said were the blogger, bloggers, and confederates of the blogger(s). The President and COO began a plan of attack based solely on Mr. Smock's statements. The witch hunt which followed would result in the expulsion of several employees. During that period, Ms. Walker with the help of President Wiggington and Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, transferred the Administrative Assistant to the reception desk, using the pretext that she would temporarily cross-train with the receptionist who would in turn, train to be the President's assistant. Ms. Walker assured the President and Executive Vice President that isolating the receptionist to the one-person reception desk would bring an end to her leaking of confidential information.

The "temporary" position became a permanent position for the President's former assistant. Furthermore, confidential information originating in the office of the President, found its way to the Internet. And though logistically, it was impossible for the President's former assistant to be involved in the leaks of information, the President and COO continued to insist that she was somehow obtaining information that only the President and COO possessed and leaking it out into the public. 

In late 2010, the former Administrative Assistant was called by then Human Resources "clerk", Esmeralda Sandoval, to the office of Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, where she was told that they were "so sorry" but that it had been decided that due to a lack of  business, the credit union no longer needed a receptionist. But months earlier, Executive Vice President had assured the former Administrative Assistant that her transfer to the reception desk was in both "temporary" and for the purpose of "cross-training." If this was in fact true, which it was not, then why would they not have laid-off the President's temporary Administrative Assistant? Because Mr. Smock lied. The former Administrative Assistant had been victimized by Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. long before she was sent to work at the reception desk. He had berated her, slandered her and in the end and with the help of Rodger Smock, attributed to her, acts she never committed. 

The former assistant proved to be another casualty of the delusional President who has somehow convinced himself that he is the only victim at the Credit Union and not the perpetrator of abuses and illegal acts. The former assistant never filed a lawsuit against the Credit Union, the President or the COO despite being subjected to duress, a hostile work environment and having her reputation defamed by the two officers. 

On a side note, the employee who became the President's new receptionist was later terminated for allegedly breaking confidentiality and disclosing to vendors and co-workers that Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. was suffering from testicular cancer. Her termination seems peculiar when one considers that it was the President who in 2011, told employees of the Accounting, Member Services and Loan Departments that he was suffering from "ball cancer". . 

pArANOiA

Since 2007, the President's victimization of employees has been commonplace at the continually shrinking Credit Union. President Wiggington's abuses of staff have always been intended to oust the enemies looming in his imagination and allegedly purposed to improve business. We are still waiting for the improvement in business. The President's other reason for ousting targeted and victimized personnel was to nurture development of a sector of employees who showed blind loyalty to his regime. 

In November 2010, we received the following account describing the termination of an employee which occurred earlier that same year. The employee shared his experience with a coworker who forwarded the account to us. Though we’ve been in possession of the email for almost four (4) years, we thought it appropriate to include it in this our final post for the series, “A History of Failures” which concludes our expose’ of past acts committed by Priority One Credit Union’s President, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. We thought the incident appropriate for inclusion in our review. The allegations in this incident are telling, providing insight into the unethical tactics and practices employed by Priority One’s most heinous President. 

We must point out, the account also reveals much about the ethics or lack of ethics, of the Human Resources Department who is staffed by Executive Vice President, Rodger D. Smock; Director, Robert West; and Manager, Esmeralda Sandoval. Though the three serve as a liaisons between the Credit Union and its employees, their actual role, based on their history of enabling President

As you read through the account of what allegedly transpired on June 1, 2010, take note of the tactics employed by the President in his pursuit to expel employees he deemed enemies to his authority. If he had been ethical and responsible, he would have compiled actual documented evidence to support his accusations against the employee. What is also disturbing is that the entire staff of the Human Resources Department- Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock and his then assistant, Esmeralda Sandoval, had no qualms enabling the President’s use of illegal acts to realize his attack on the employee. On a side note, in 2010 through 2012, the President with the help of Mr. Smock and Miss Sandoval, employed unethical practices to rid the Credit Union of his imagined enemies.

THE INCIDENT, JUNE 1, 2010

John,

I thought you’d find this story interesting. It happened to one of my co-workers and maybe you’ll publish it so everyone can see just how dirty and dishonest Charles Wiggington is.

I spoke to a co-worker a few weeks ago and asked him why the credit union laid him off. He told me he wasn’t laid off. He got accused of downloading gay pornography and sexually harassing his co-workers. He also got accused of being the blogger or knowing the blogger and leaking information to you.

He said that right after Memorial Day he gets a call on his cell phone from Esmeralda [Sandoval] but its garbled and he can’t make it out. So he calls Esmeralda and asks if she could repeat her message because it was garbled. He says she starts stuttering and  gets defensive. She says, “What do you mean you couldn’t understand?”. ”Why wasn’t it clear to you?” 

He asks her to please repeat her message. He said she nervously says “You have an HR meeting at 11 a.m.” He thanks her and hangs up. He said that for weeks he’s known something is up because certain people at the credit union are behaving oddly around him including Esmeralda, Rodger Smock., Robert West, and Joseph Garcia.  He said the only reason employees are called to HR is when they’re going to be fired so he drives to his office in Burbank and clears out his desk and then drives down to South Pasadena, California.

He arrives outside Rodger Smock’s office at about 10:50 a.m. and greets Esmeralda. Esmeralda gets up and goes in Rodger’s office but he can hear Rodger tell her he’s awaiting an important call. She tells him its going to be a few minutes. He then tells Esmeralda that he’s going to get a cup of water in the lounge room. She says, “I have to go with you.” Why she needed to accompany him seemed strange since he is an employee of the credit union but affirms that something is up.

After they return from the lunch room, he sits down and Esmeralda goes back inside Rodger’s office. He can hear Rodger say that he is on an important call and can’t attend “the meeting.” She walks to her desk and calls someone. After hanging up, she asks the employee to follow her. They go to Charles’s office but the door is closed. She knocks and Charles opens the door. He tells the employee to come in. Inside the office and sitting a the small conference table is an Asian man dressed in a suit. The man looks up but stays quiet. Charles asks the employee to sit down and introduces the man as an investigator. The man identifies himself as a “forensics investigator” and he says he’s been scanning the employee’s computer and discovered that he’s been visiting gay porn sites and printing copies of pictures of naked men. The man opens a manila folder where there’s what looks like a ream sized stack of photocopies but from the angle where the employee sits, the images look really dark. The investigator adds that the employee has also been leaking information to the blog with the help of his “confederates.” He tells the employee that he’s committed egregious acts and that he has 24 hours to either shut down the blog or order the bloggers to shut down the blog. The employees says he tells the investigator he didn’t know what he was talking about. He also asks the investigator to let him look through the pile of photos he supposedly copied. He said the investigator has a hissy fit and yells, “I don’t have to show you these!”

Turning to Charles he asks, “And who have I sexually harassed” but the investigator cuts in saying, “We don’t have to tell you that!”

The employee responds back saying, “You do because you’re accusing me of downloading porn. Since I allegedly downloaded I have a right to see your proof. The investigator closes the manila folder and threatens the employee to either shut down the blog or he will be taken to federal court.

The investigator then tells him that he interviewed Joseph Garcia and Esmeralda Sandoval both who said he was leaking information to the blog. The employee rarely speaks to either and his work doesn’t require he interact with either Joseph or Esmeralda, so why would they provide evidently false statements?

Then Charles cuts in and tells him that if the employee signs a severance agreement, he’ll receive severance pay equal to one week of pay for each year of employment with the credit union. He also says that if the employee doesn’t sign the agreement,  the credit union will deny unemployment and give bad references to anyone calling the credit union for references.

The employee turns to the investigator and asks, “What is your name?” He said the investigator’s face flushed red and he yells, “I don’t have to give you my name!”

Charles then tells the employee, “I don’t care if the blog stays up but I want you to tell the bloggers to stop calling me a sexual harasser and to remove all references that call me a sexual harasser.

The investigator cuts in and says, “Charles, I’m trying to get him to shut down the blog!”

Charles responds, “It can stay up I just don’t want to be called a sexual harasser plus I have 4 other things I want removed.” The employee says again, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The investigator starts backtracking and says, “You can’t sue me because I’m not an employee of the credit union.” The employee ignored the investigator at this point because it was obvious he was hired to lie for Charles and that he was a coward because he refused to provide his name.

Charles tells him, “Please tell the bloggers to stop calling me a sexual harasser.” The employee tells me that it was obvious that what the blog says must be true if Charles is going to such extremes to make up stories so his name can be taken off the blog.

Charles then invites him to go into the branch and tell his co-workers good-bye. Why would an employee accused of downloading porn, sexually harassing co-workers, and leaking information be invited to go through the branch to say good-bye to his co-workers?

The employee filed for unemployment. He advised the Department of Employment Development (“EDD”) that he was fired for allegedly downloading pornography,  sexually harassing co-workers, and leaking confidential information on to this blog.

Days later, an employee from the EDD contacted the former employee and informed him that his request for unemployment was being denied because Esmeralda Sandoval informed the department that he had violated confidentiality, a terminable offense.

The employee explains that during his meeting with the President and the forensics investigator, he was informed he was being terminated for downloading same-sex pornography, for sexually harassing unnamed co-workers and for breaching confidentiality but adds that the President offered him a severance package if he signed an agreement in which he agrees not to seek legal recourse against the Credit Union.

He is advised by the EDD representative that offering a severance agreement to someone who has violated company policy is highly irregular but she adds she will have to call Esmeralda Sandoval to ask about the other reasons why the employee was allegedly terminated.

Later that same day, the EDD representative calls the former employee and advises him that when she told Miss Sandoval that he had been terminated for downloading gay pornography and sexually harassing co-workers, that the Assistant to Rodger Smock stated, “We don’t know what he’s talking about. Maybe he’s confused a conversation he had with someone else.”

The EDD representative asks the former employee to fax a copy of the severance agreement to her office. He does so on the same day.  The representative calls Priority One again but Esmeralda Sandoval never returns her call. The EDD approves the former employees request for unemployment benefits.

The account reveals that Charles Wiggington is a man who has no qualms about committing egregious acts and employing slander as a means by which to realize his illegal purposes. He concocted a phony and slanderous story with an evidently dishonest forensics investigator whose services were paid for with Priority One’s funds.

Miss Sandoval apparently had no hesitation in taking part in the President’s duplicitous and insidious plot and without hesitation, lied to the EDD representative.

Similarly, then Loan Department Manager, Joseph Garcia, apparently had no problems providing fictitious testimony to enable the termination plot hatched by Beatrice Walker and President Wiggington.

Mr. Wiggington’s history proves he has a penchant for criminal behaviors. He concocted a phony story  with fraudulent evidence and later denied having ever accused the employee of downloading pornography or sexually harassing co-workers. President Wiggington, the entire Human Resources Department, the former COO and her then confidant, Joseph Garcia proved that their personal agendas have precedence over ethics, morals and even the law. The President’s denials remind us of his 2008 denials that he never sexually harassed a former employee or his 2007 denial that he was culpable for the mailing debacle which violated the Credit Union’s security protocols.

On the day of the termination, the always cowards and dishonest, Rodger Smock, hid in the recesses of his office refusing to attend the meeting in the President’s office.

But there’s more. The employee also revealed that while working in South Pasadena, he was told by co-workers that one of the collection representatives, Alex Suarez, was always gossiping about him the women’s bathroom, saying she knew he was the blogger.  Alex also told female employees that her boss, Yvonne Boutte and Bea Walker were “on to him.”

He also learned from people in the Accounting Department that Charles had said that they shouldn’t talk about confidential information around the employee because “he writes everything down.” Now wouldn’t it seem peculiar to see someone from another department standing or sitting in your department and writing down everything you’re saying?

He is also learned from a Manager, that it was Rodger Smock who told President Wiggington, the Board and Beatrice Walker, who he knew were the blogger and bloggers.  It was Mr. Smock who single-handedly caused the victimization of a Member Services clerk, the Marketing Specialist, an AVP,  a Business Development Representative, the BSA Officer and many others. Of course, being simpletons, the President, the COO, and Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks believed as fact, Mr. Smock’s statements without demanding he provide evidence.

Also, in February 2010, the employee attended some conference in Anaheim. The following day when he returned to work, all his possessions in his desk had been packed in boxes and thrown on a cart. A temporary employee was sitting at his desk and he was told that he was being relocated outside of Rodger’s office. Rodger joking told him, “Now we’ll see if you really work.” I guess Rodger didn’t realize that the employee would now be able to see if Rodger really worked.

In late January 2010, following a Board meeting in the Credit Union’s conference room, the board walked into the back offices to look at the Call Center which opened earlier that month. He says that Diedra the board’s Chair walked over to where he sat working while the remainder of the board huddled several feet behind her just outside of Yvonne Boutte’s cubicle.  He said Diedra stuttered and couldn’t look at him in the eyes and asked, “Do you like this desk? I don’t like it. Lets see if we can get you a nice office somewhere in this branch.”

He thought her conversation was totally disingenuous and betrayed by her obvious nervousness. She then told him she would look into getting him a nice office. He had already heard rumors about him leaking information, about things said behind his back by Bea Walker, Alex Suarez, Rodger Smock, Robert West and President Wiggington so Mrs. Harris comments were suspicious and out of character.

That same night, Rodger calls the employee at his cell phone and asks him if he’d like to be relocated to Burbank instead and says he’ll be given his own private office where he can work undisturbed and that he will work independent of the Burbank branch manager and just do the assignments he receives from Bea or himself. He also says that the employee is not to help the branch manager under any circumstances and that he is not to do “branch work.”

The employee gladly accepts the post, hoping distancing himself from South Pasadena will bring an end to the chronic gossip that permeates South Pasadena.

He goes to Burbank but once he’s there, he says the Branch Manager is constantly trying to get him to do her work and even through Rodger said he wasn’t to assist her for any reason.

She calls Rodger and complains and he calls and asks the employee why he’s refusing to help the Branch Manager. The employee reminds Rodger that he specifically said that he was not to do branch work or help her.  He said Rodger starts stuttering (always an great indicator that someone is lying) and Rodger says, “Can’t you at least process loan applications?” He reminds Rodger that because he no longer works in the Loan Department, he does not possess loan processor rights. Rodger stutters and tells him he’ll call him back.

The Branch Manager’s harassment begins to escalate and he soon learns that she’s not only complaining to Rodger but she’s also complaining to Bea Walker.  Behind his back, Bea Walker begins to ask the Branch Manager to keep an eye on his comings and goings.

His co-workers in Burbank begin to tell him that the Branch Manager has told him he is leaking information to the blog and that Charles is having him watched. If true, why would a branch manager share that information with her subordinate staff? 

Its also strange that he left South Pasadena to get away from the gossip and also to distance himself from “confidential” information Charles believed he was allegedly documenting but even though he physically distanced himself from the South Pasadena office, he was still being accused of getting access to information that would have required he be physically present inside the South Pasadena branch.

Analysis

Clearly, finesse is not a quality possessed by either the President or any of his artless executives. The corrupt President hired a dishonest consultant who prostituted himself and created a fictitious record of fraudulent documentation accusing the employee of acts he never committed. The irony is that just two years earlier, in 2008, President Wiggington was found guilty of sexually harassing an employee and for years, it was a well known fact that at South Pasadena, some of the executives would spend their day visiting pornographic websites on their company-issued computers, a fact which was only known about because these paragons of professionalism would openly talk about what they'd seen to their staffs.

And it's also not by sheer luck that the President found willing accomplices in the despicable Esmeralda Sandoval and Joseph Garcia, both who like the consultant, prostituted themselves and provided false testimonies used to solidify the President's bogus case against the employee. The fraudulent case brought against the employee began to crumble when the Employment Development Department contacted Miss Sandoval and asked her to explain why the employee had been accused of downloading pornography and sexually harassing co-workers. Miss Sandoval buckled and denied all knowledge about the allegations and even declared the employee was confused.

Nowadays, after having exhausted numerous positions, all of whose responsibilities he failed to perform satisfactorily, Mr. Garcia serves as the Credit Union's loan Business Development Representative though in almost 24-months, he has failed each and every month to meet his $150,000 monthly quota of funded loans. 

Miss Sandoval refers to herself as a Christian. We urge her to acquaint herself with what the term Christian means and the responsibility which comes with being a proclaimed follower of Christ. 

FAILURE, FAILURE AND MORE FAILURE

It is almost mind boggling that after seven (7) years of chronic, unwavering failures, Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. remains President and CEO of what is now a three-branch Credit Union. 
He continues to receive $150,000 plus for what is apparently leading the Credit Union to extinction. Nowadays, he no longer boasts about how he intends to introduce technologies that will rival those of bigger, richer credit unions nor does he boast about how he will achieve success and growth at levels never achieved by any of his predecessors. He also never mentions that over the past seven (7) years, Priority One's Net Income has declined by approximately $22 million though on occasion he does try to dupe anyone who will listen into believing that the Credit Union's net capital is synonymous with profit obtained from new business and being careful to avoid any reference the drastic and desperate expense reductions he's been forced to introduced in an effort to avoid net capital from dropping anywhere near 6%. 

What is equally amazing is how this untalented leader possesses the ability to populate the ranks of his tattered corporate sector with people who are as unethical and incompetent as he is. And despite his insistence that branch closures are part of a well structured plan that is going to spew forth immense amounts of new business, the fact remains, Priority One is a credit union in financial straits. 

The President proves that there is a relationship between the Credit Union's decline and his insidious behaviors. Over the years, the President has shown he is no respecter of policies, laws or people. In fact, his defiance to structure and orders speaks of a pronounced disdain for things which ensure compliance to rules and laws. Over the years, he's gushed a myriad of lies exaggerating his abilities, his past employment, his achievements, his sexual escapades, and his defamatory attacks against any person he believed was out to topple his empire. 

His style of administration is punctuated by wasted spending, abuses of authority, and deceit. The cumulative effect of his indiscretions have reduced the Credit Union's financial standing, undermined its ability to generate new business at a level needed to offset the amount of its above average overhead and impeded the amassment of profit. His deplorable failures have also allowed the incidence of internal thefts at the Credit Union's Los Angeles branch.

Though as President, he is expected to ensure policies are maintained and enforced, his involvement in sexual harassment, his repossession of an automobile whose ownership he transferred to his name, his approval allowing the collection department to create bogus Facebook accounts as a ploy by which to trap Members who had been referred over to collection proceedings and the multitude of other unethical and illegal acts he's committed, only serves to affirm his vast hypocritical nature. 

In an effort to protect his throne, the President has freely employed slander, concocting vicious stories that viciously maligned employee reputations, and with the help of Executive Vice President, Rodger Smock, and Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, reduced the Credit Union from a business-generating entity to one reliant on expense reductions as a means to its continued survival.  

• In 2008, he borrowed $20 million from the the Credit Union's line-of-credit. He immediately afterwards, informed employees that Net Income had increased as a result of new business when the actual reason for the increase was the $20 million the Board authorized him to borrow. 

• In 2009, he boasted again, that business was increasing yet at the end of the year, the Credit Union sustained more than $5 million in losses.

• In 2010, he and then COO, Beatrice Walker proclaimed that the Credit Union was on the road to financial recovery. Their declarations were echoed by Board Chair, Diedra Harris-Brooks, who during the May 2010 Annual Meeting, attributed the alleged increase in business to the COO and her assistant, Joseph Garcia. Five months later, in October 2010, the Credit Union closed the Redlands and Valencia branches in a desperate effort to increase net income. 

• In 2011, the Board terminated COO, Beatrice Walker, and in her place, hired Cindy Garvin as the Credit Union's new Lending Director. During the year, the Credit Union closed the Riverside branch bringing an end to Priority One's physical presence in all of Riverside County.

• In 2012, the President implemented monthly sales quotas to all employees and from March 2012 through September 2012, terminated a large contingent of employees who failed to meet their assigned quotas during a consecutive two-month period. In November 2012, the President informed employees that Priority One was well on the road to financial recovery pointing to high capital as evidence of increased business. His "story" was a lie. The reason for the increase in capital was unrelated to an increase in new business, but rather drastic expense reductions which served to undermine the Credit Union's ability to develop new business, employ effective marketing, or resolve its many member service related problems. 

The President's current documented lie, infers he's been President since 1992 and tries rather ineptly to enhance his dull employment history which is conspicuously devoid of any accomplishments. The dull President seems incapable of comprehending that it is what one accomplishes that testifies to their abilities, not some embellished, lie ridden biography and resume. Charles Wiggington was hired 1992 in the capacity of Vice President of Operations, a position he maintained until December 31, 2006. There is absolutely no reference to this fact in his online biographies or resumes.  From 1992 through the end of 2006, the President of Priority One Credit Union was William E. Harris. It was Mr. Harris who orchestrated numerous mergers which expanded Priority One's presence in Southern California, increased the Credit Union's Net Income, augmented membership, and increased branch locations. Since Charles R. Wiggington, Sr. became President, the Credit Union has lost six of its nine branches, suffered losses in membership, and its Net Income has declined by more than $22 million. 

Even President Wiggington's most fantastical creations can't dispel his well documented record of failures whose impact upon business has been almost catastrophic. So when might we expect any of the President's promises of impending success to be realized? We've waited for seven years but have yet to see anything indicating even a slight improvement to the woes caused by the President. And don't expect to see a sudden reversal of the Credit Union's misfortunes over the next 8 weeks. We doubt Senor Wiggington will do anything that will improve business at any time in 2015 and we wouldn't be surprised if he again has to close one of the Credit Union's three remaining branches in order to keep business going, albeit it a pittance of the business that existed before the Board appointed him President. And if history serves as an indicator of anything, its that President Wiggington will probably never reverse the process of deterioration he set in motion on January 1, 2007.

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