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| From the Reporter |
| Where Trouble Started |
| When the Sweetwater school district chose someone in 2007 to oversee construction spending, then-Superintendent Jesus Gandara recommended what he said was the top firm. But the district’s internal ratings, which were disregarded, had said another company was better. |
| Behind the Scenes |
| At the same time the firm Gandara recommended leapfrogged another, it bestowed its largess on the school officials handing out the work. Four school officials and a contractor have since been charged criminally in what the district attorney says was a pervasive pay-to-play scheme. |
| The Big Picture |
| The case strikes at the heart of the South Bay political establishment. In December, investigators searched the homes of several officials who haven’t been charged. The D.A. says more charges could be forthcoming. |