The mayor of the Southern California city of Coachella, Steven Hernandez, pleaded not guilty on Oct. 30 to one felony count of conflict of interest relating to government contracts, four felony counts of perjury, and four misdemeanor counts of conflicts of interest relating to governmental decisions.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement issued Oct. 30, that the conflict-of-interest charges relate to Hernandez’s vote to approve a contract between the City of Coachella and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ Housing First Program, as well as his votes and advocacy related to downtown Coachella development projects.
