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A former contracts manager for the 22nd District Agricultural Associations testified under oath that the scores to award a contract for running the midway at the 2021 San Diego County Fair was changed twice at the direction of CEO Carlene Moore.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Michael Ceragioli, testified in a lawsuit filed by Talley Amusements against the district over the process of awarding the master contract for the 2021 fair.
Ceragioli testified that he told Moore changing the scores after the bids opened was "completely inappropriate" and he wanted nothing to do with it.
He also testified that he overheard Moore ask for the scoring sheet of one of the evaluators and told Jean Flournoy, who oversaw the competition for the contract, "we might have to change her score."
Talley Amusements lost out on the contract by less than a point to Ray Cammack Shows (RCS) and sued soon after claiming that the process was rigged.
However, the contract was never actually awarded as the 2021 fair was scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a midway operator was not needed.
When the fair issued a request for a single operator for the midway in 2022, Talley did not bid because they said specifications for qualified bidders were rigged to favor RCS.
The company also maintains it was the rightful winner of the 2021 contract.
On Monday, January 31, the fair board unanimously awarded the master contract to RCS for the coming year, which includes two two-year extensions. This means RCS could run the midway for the next five years.