South Lake Tahoe mayor says she stole money from church, shares suicide attempt
South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The mayor of South Lake Tahoe has issued a surprising and detailed letter to her community, admitting she stole funds from a church and tried to end her life over the guilt she felt.
In the letter shared with KTVU on Monday, Mayor Tamara Wallace said that she was not "found out" about the embezzlement but that she was coming forward with the information on her own.
The confession
"This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am publicly admitting that I took funds from the Presbyterian Church over an extended period," she wrote in the opening of her letter.
The mayor went on to say that her actions prompted a suicide attempt on Sept. 11, which was her birthday.
Wallace said the church showed her love and entrusted her as an administrator, and that the guilt over her actions was overwhelming.
"I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution. It was only by the grace of God that I failed," she wrote.
The mayor explained that while in the hospital following her mental health crisis, she prepared a list of account numbers and passwords that she turned over to the church to offer a paper trail of the misconduct.
What we don't know:
The mayor did not divulge in her letter how much money she embezzled.
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Mental health crisis
Wallace also explained that following the suicide attempt, she spent 18 days in a mental health facility and continues to undergo treatment.
She said that the counseling she’s received has allowed her to understand why she stole money from the church.
"In my mind, I may have found justification by using most of those funds to help others, such as my deceased son’s three children," the mayor wrote.
List of traumas
The letter to the community proceeded to offer a long, elaborate explanation for what has happened in her past that she said led her to take these actions.
The events she refers to span most of her life, dating back to her childhood when she said she endured abuse at the hands of more than one person from the age of four to almost 16 years old.
"I will not be graphic, but the abuse included being drugged," the mayor said. "At 10 years old, I told my alcoholic mother. She did nothing and said it was my fault."
Her list of other traumas in her life also included her explaining why she chose Sept. 11 as the day she attempted to take her life, noting how she and her husband were in Washington, D.C. on 9/11 and witnessed the attack on the Pentagon.
She also detailed the "unbearable grief" she experienced when her son Christopher died from fentanyl poisoning. She wrote of the pain of seeing another son, her eldest, suffering from a rare bone cancer that led to him losing a leg. And she described the heartache of caring for her ill father who "wasted away and died in front of me," she wrote.
There are other moments of suffering she detailed, including her own health problems and the "countless death threats" she’s faced as an elected official.
‘No excuse’
After sharing all of these as explanations as to what led her to taking money from the church, Wallace wrote, "These things may be reasons, but not an excuse for my behavior. There is no excuse."
She went on to further detail her state of mind, saying, "I have hidden away the abuse in a compartment until now. I have tried to block away the grief. I think, for some internal thinking reason, I used this theft as a soothing mechanism, much like the Foster children we have helped or have known who hoarded things or food," she wrote.
As she closed the letter, she apologized for her actions. "Sorry is not a strong enough word to explain the depths of my regret and shame," the mayor wrote, adding, "I do not think anyone can be as angry at me as I am at myself."
Why the letter?
As for why this letter, why she decided to come forward, the mayor said that she wanted to forge a different approach than that taken by many other public figures accused of wrongdoing.
She said she had heard that a local newspaper was looking into a story on her.
"Rather than be like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path. I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done," Wallace wrote.
She also noted that despite her efforts to reach the church through its pastor, she had not heard back.
KTVU reached out to the church to get a statement but did not hear back by the time this story was published.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office told KTVU charges have not been filed yet related to the Wallace case. "We are working as quickly as possible to do a thorough investigation," said Melanie Torres, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office.
More controversy
Dig deeper:
The incident comes as the South Lake Tahoe city council faces another controversy.
The city’s mayor pro tem, Cody Bass, is facing legal problems following an arrest on assault charges stemming from a confrontation at a bar in Stateline, Nevada on Sept. 25.
"Mr. Bass was booked into the Douglas County Jail on misdemeanor charges of Assault, Trespassing, and Threats/Harassment," the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and the sheriff's office told KTVU in a joint statement.
He's since been formally charged with the misdemeanor offenses of trespassing and harassment and set to appear in court on Dec. 22 for an arraignment, according to the statement.
In a statement to KTVU, Bass denied any wrongdoing. "I can guarantee my community I did nothing wrong, I believe in due process, bring on the trial," the mayor pro tem said.
South Lake Tahoe Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass
KTVU reached out to a spokesperson for South Lake Tahoe who said the city was aware of the two incidents.
What they're saying:
In regard to the situation involving Mayor Wallace, the city said in part, "The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is handling this matter, and therefore we have limited information about the investigation. The City is in no fiscal harm from this situation and continues to provide essential services to our residents."
As for the arrest involving Mayor Pro Tem Bass, city spokesperson Sheree Juarez shared, "This matter is being handled by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. It is our understanding that Mayor Pro Tem is being charged with a misdemeanor in Douglas County."
What's next
It’s unclear what will happen to Wallace’s and Bass’s position on the city council. At this point, they remain in their roles as mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively.
"Under state law a council seat becomes vacant if there is a felony conviction or guilty plea," Juarez explained, adding, "We have no further comments at this time."
The mayor said that she believed that her attempt to end her life failed because there is still work she has left to do, as she pointed to her faith and "the example of Christ’s forgiveness."
She said no one in her family nor any of her friends knew about the money she'd taken, and she expressed her love and gratitude to her family for forgiving her despite the shame she's brought on them.
Wallace promised to pay back "every cent" that she'd stolen and said this journey has emboldened her to help others.
"Most important is that I will use this experience to hopefully stop others from committing the selfish, wrong-minded act of suicide. I will speak to and find ways to help those who have suffered abuse like I did," Wallace shared, "I love our town and, regardless of the outcome, will dedicate my life to making it a better place to live."