The Potential FBI Case Against Karen Velie

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since CalCoastNews reported on March 25 that District 3 Supervisor Adam Hill’s home was searched by the FBI, several anonymous accounts and key evidence linked to CCN co-founder Karen Velie were removed. Concerned that she was potentially spoliating evidence during a criminal investigation, I decided to release my unredacted report on Velie for public consumption.

CalCoastNews co-founder and publisher Karen Velie engaged in abuse of process and coercion in sweeping and extensive faction, oftentimes weaponizing her website CalCoastNews.com to influence public opinion, denigrate personal and professional reputations of actual and perceived political adversaries. Evidence of these practices began to surface in early 2014.

In March 2014, a confidential source contacted me with an allegation about Velie compromising then-State Senate Sam Blakeslee. The source, who had several conversations with Blakeslee’s then-wife Kara Woodruff, alleged that Velie uncovered an extramarital affair Blakeslee had with his former Chief of Staff Christine Robertson. I reached out to Blakeslee and Woodruff for comment at the time, but never received a response. Around that time, I publicly asked for tips about this potentially explosive lead but had not stated for certain that Velie attempted to blackmail Blakeslee. Given the lack of engagement from the alleged victims, I presumed the allegation lacked merit and decided to publicly disclose what was alleged for transparency purposes.