The top legal spot at the agency went to Tamar Pachter, who was the lead attorney in the agency's so-far successful defense against challenges to its existence. Pachter, who will join CIRM March 19, served as a California deputy attorney general, where she worked in the areas of antitrust, bankruptcy and energy regulation for the past four years. A graduate cum laude from Fordham University of Law, she was selected from nearly 100 applicants. Her annual salary will be $160,000. More details on her background can be found in the press release at the www.cirm.ca.gov.
CIRM has a $558,000 contract for this fiscal year with the San Leandro law firm of Remcho, Johansen & Purcell. It has already paid Remcho $539,600 since January 2005.
The audit released by CIRM was commissioned under its $100,000, two-year contract with Macias Gini & O'Connell of Sacramento. It is typical of the sort of audits that are commonplace in the corporate world and covers less ground than the performance audit by the state auditor.
CIRM said,
"In a separate report, the auditor identified several opportunities where the CIRM could strengthen internal controls and operating efficiency. Some are related to practices of the State Controller’s Office, which acts as the Institute’s bookkeeper; others are wholly within the province of the CIRM. Per the auditor’s recommendation, for example, members of the CIRM governing board are now required to sign annual statements acknowledging review and receipt of the Institute’s conflict of interest policies. All the Macias Gini & O'Connell recommendations have been accepted by CIRM management."You can find the report at the CIRM web site: www.cirm.ca.gov. Currently we are unable to access it directly but hope to bring you more on it later.
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