The Fresno police officer at the center of former Police Chief Paco Balderrama’s fall from grace is making a new claim of retaliation by the city.

Attorneys for Jordan Wamhoff, who is also an elected Madera County Supervisor, said the city is conducting an investigation into their client.

“This is not an investigation — it is a vendetta,” attorney Brian Whelan wrote to the city on Friday, Feb. 21, in a letter obtained by GV Wire from a source other than Whelan and Wamhoff.

The city informed Wamhoff about the investigation in January. Whelan would not comment on the nature of the investigation.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the city is investigating a complaint filed against Wamhoff, but didn’t elaborate further. Another source said the investigation doesn’t have  anything to do with Wamhoff’s conduct as an officer.

City Attorney Andrew Janz provided a statement to GV Wire acknowledging an investigation is underway.

“The City Attorney’s Office has and will continue to conduct this administrative investigation in accordance with City policy and procedures. Our normal process is to keep these internal inquiries confidential until there are findings made by the factfinder to preserve the integrity of the investigation,” Janz said.

“Since Mr. Wamhoff and his attorneys are so eager to make public the claim of ‘criminal misconduct’ levied against him, I will refer all questions regarding the contents of the preservation letter to Mr. Whelan.  The City of Fresno will not provide further comment pending completion of this investigation.”

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Although Whelan told GV Wire he was not claiming a criminal investigation, upon further review the letter did say the city “has manufactured a baseless claim of criminal misconduct in a desperate attempt to justify what will obviously turn into an unlawful retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuit.”

City Hall spokesperson Sontaya Rose said the city will not comment because it is a pending legal matter.

“If there is a full, thorough and complete investigation that is truly independent, we are confident that Officer Wamhoff will continue his employment with the Fresno Police Officer. Anything short of that would be unlawful retaliation,” Whelan told GV Wire.

Preservation of City Records Sought by Wamhoff’s Attorney

The two sides had a meeting on Monday, but neither side is discussing what happened.

The letter also asked for the city to preserve several records.

The Fresno Police Officers Association, the police union, is standing behind Wamhoff. They are providing Whelan and Will Yamada, an attorney who specializes in California Peace Officer Bill of Rights cases.

“We hope that this chapter will be over for Jordan soon. And we look forward to having him back on the street,” FPOA president Sgt. Jeff La Blue said.

Claim in Attorney’s Letter: Dyer Laughed at Accusation

Wamhoff accused Balderrama of having an extramarital affair with his wife. Furthermore, Balderrama denied Wamhoff a lateral transfer that would have allowed him more time to spend with his family. That move also allowed Balderrama to carry on the affair, the letter alleges.

The city conducted an investigation by firm Atkinson Andelson, but kept it under wraps until rumblings from the media including GV Wire erupted in May and June of 2024.

The city placed Balderrama on administrative leave on June 12, 2024. On June 25, 2024, Balderrama announced his resignation effective a month later.

The city named Mindy Casto as Balderrama’s interim replacement. She received a promotion to the full-time job earlier this month.

During the announcement of Balderrama’s resignation, City Manager Georgeanne White said the investigation did not sustain an allegation of abuse of authority.

“The circumstances surrounding this so-called investigation make clear that it is nothing more than an act of retaliation-one designed to punish Officer Wamhoff for exposing misconduct at the highest levels of the Fresno Police Department,” Whelan wrote.

Whelan said the city’s actions violate state labor code, the California Peace Officer Bill of Rights, and “fundamental principles of fairness and due process.”

Attorney’s Letter: Wamhoff Blew Whistle on Chief in February 2024

According to Whelan’s letter, Wamhoff reported Balderrama’s conduct to Janz on Feb. 16, 2024.

Whelan’s letter said Mayor Jerry Dyer met with Balderrama on Feb. 17, 2024, and later that day Dyer and Wamhoff spoke. Wamhoff reportedly told Dyer he feared for his safety, believing “Paco will kill me. He has been backed into a corner. I need you take his gun away.”

The letter accused Dyer of downplaying Wamhoff’s complaints. Dyer, according to Wamhoff, laughed off his concerns in a conversation they had at a private event in Madera County in May 2024.

“Affairs happen all the time, Jordan. Paco has been a good police chief, and he’s not going anywhere,” Dyer allegedly told the officer.

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Allegation: City Used Benefits to Retaliate

The letter also accuses the city of attempting to coerce Wamhoff regarding his disability benefits. A section in the state labor code allows police officers up to a year in disability time off.

Wamhoff accused the city of not fully providing disability benefits — for a knee injury and stress caused by the Balderrama incident — unless he dropped a Serious and Willful claim, which Whelan said could increase the city’s liability by 50%.

“In essence, the City held his financial security hostage — illegally withholding benefits in an attempt to coerce him into abandoning a valid claim. This was not just unethical; it was illegal,” Whelan wrote.

An arbitrator in November eventually forced the city to pay Wamhoff’s disability claim, Whelan said.

Whelan called the city’s efforts, “retaliatory economic coercion” and an “abuse of power.”

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Read the Letter