Ex San Diego mayor Maureen O’Connor lost $1 billion through gambling, according to a Feb. 14 Inquisitor report. Some of the money the Democratic mayor gambled with belonged to a charity named the R.P. Foundation.
Maureen O'Connor has been charged with money laundering in the $1 billion gambling loss. The charity was her late husband, Robert O. Peterson's. Peterson was the co-found of Jack in the Box restaurants.
Over the course of nine years, the ex mayor went on a huge gambling spree. She mostly played video poker at casinos in San Diego, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. By 2008, all her personal assets were gone, so she turned to the charity's assets. She took $2.1 million from the R.P. Foundation. All told, she ended up losing a total of $1 billion during the nine years.
Maureen O'Connor has a gambling addiction. She is seeking treatment for her addiction, and she has entered into an agreement with prosecutors to repay the $2.1 million to the foundation over the course of two years. She said,
"I always intended to pay it back, and I still intend to pay it back. In that period of time I lost my husband, three siblings, best friends. Most of you know, I never meant to hurt the city."
Hopefully the fact that the ex mayor lost $1 billion is a wake up call for her. She is reportedly in rather bad health, but perhaps she can turn things around and kick her gambling habit.
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