SEC v. Karen Marie Michel; and Sweetwater Union High School District, No. LR-25215, Southern District of New York (Sept. 22, 2021) — Press Release

SEC Charges School District and Former Executive with Misleading Investors in Bond Offering Litigation Release No. 25215 / September 22, 2021 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Karen Marie Michel, No. 21-cv-01623-L-BGS (S.D. Cal. filed September 16, 2021) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a San Diego County school district, Sweetwater Union High School District, and its former Chief Financial Officer, Karen Michel, with misleading investors who purchased $28 million in municipal bonds. According to the SEC's complaint against Michel and its order against Sweetwater, in April 2018, Sweetwater and Michel provided investors with misleading budget projections that indicated the district could cover its costs and would end the fiscal year with a general fund balance of approximately $19.5 million, when in reality the district was engaged in significant deficit spending and on track to a negative $7.2 million ending fund balance. The order finds that Michel managed the bond offering for the district and was aware of reports showing that the projections were untenable and contradicted by known actual expenses. Nevertheless, as stated in the order, Sweetwater and Michel included the projections in the April 2018 bonds' offering documents and also provided them to a credit rating agency that rated the district, while omitting that the projections were contradicted by internal reports and did not account for actual expenses. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Michel signed multiple certifications falsely attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the information included in the offering documents. The SEC's complaint against Michel, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, charges her with violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Michel agreed to settle with the SEC and to be enjoined from future violations of the charged provision as well as from participating in any future municipal securities offerings. She also agreed to pay a $28,000 penalty. The settlement is subject to court approval. Sweetwater also agreed to settle with the SEC and consented, without admitting or denying any findings, to the entry of an SEC order finding that it violated Sections 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, and requiring it to engage an independent consultant to evaluate its policies and procedures related to its municipal securities disclosures. For further information about the SEC's enforcement actions involving fraud charges in connection with bond issuances by or on behalf of schools and colleges, see SEC v. Park View School, Inc. (D. Ariz. September 14, 2020), SEC v. Batchelor (N.D. Cal. April 27, 2020), SEC v. Rojas (C.D. Cal. September 19, 2019), and SEC v. Borge (S.D.N.Y. March 28, 2019). The SEC has also brought a number of recent enforcement actions against municipal advisors who provide services to school district issuers. The SEC's investigation was conducted by William T. Salzmann, Jessica A. Adams, Creighton Papier, and Joseph Chimienti of the Public Finance Abuse Unit. The investigation was supervised by Jason H. Lee. The SEC acknowledges the assistance of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. SEC Complaint

SEC Charges School District and Former Executive with Misleading Investors in Bond Offering Litigation Release No. 25215 / September 22, 2021 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Karen Marie Michel, No. 21-cv-01623-L-BGS (S.D. Cal. filed September 16, 2021) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a San Diego County school district, Sweetwater Union High School District, and its former Chief Financial Officer, Karen Michel, with misleading investors who purchased $28 million in municipal bonds. According to the SEC's complaint against Michel and its order against Sweetwater, in April 2018, Sweetwater and Michel provided investors with misleading budget projections that indicated the district could cover its costs and would end the fiscal year with a general fund balance of approximately $19.5 million, when in reality the district was engaged in significant deficit spending and on track to a negative $7.2 million ending fund balance. The order finds that Michel managed the bond offering for the district and was aware of reports showing that the projections were untenable and contradicted by known actual expenses. Nevertheless, as stated in the order, Sweetwater and Michel included the projections in the April 2018 bonds' offering documents and also provided them to a credit rating agency that rated the district, while omitting that the projections were contradicted by internal reports and did not account for actual expenses. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Michel signed multiple certifications falsely attesting to the accuracy and completeness of the information included in the offering documents. The SEC's complaint against Michel, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, charges her with violating Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Michel agreed to settle with the SEC and to be enjoined from future violations of the charged provision as well as from participating in any future municipal securities offerings. She also agreed to pay a $28,000 penalty. The settlement is subject to court approval. Sweetwater also agreed to settle with the SEC and consented, without admitting or denying any findings, to the entry of an SEC order finding that it violated Sections 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, and requiring it to engage an independent consultant to evaluate its policies and procedures related to its municipal securities disclosures. For further information about the SEC's enforcement actions involving fraud charges in connection with bond issuances by or on behalf of schools and colleges, see SEC v. Park View School, Inc. (D. Ariz. September 14, 2020), SEC v. Batchelor (N.D. Cal. April 27, 2020), SEC v. Rojas (C.D. Cal. September 19, 2019), and SEC v. Borge (S.D.N.Y. March 28, 2019). The SEC has also brought a number of recent enforcement actions against municipal advisors who provide services to school district issuers. The SEC's investigation was conducted by William T. Salzmann, Jessica A. Adams, Creighton Papier, and Joseph Chimienti of the Public Finance Abuse Unit. The investigation was supervised by Jason H. Lee. The SEC acknowledges the assistance of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. SEC Complaint