Did cop pressure city to fire Fresno police chief after wife’s alleged affair? What we know

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After learning that his wife allegedly had an affair with the Fresno police chief, officer Jordan Wamhoff sent a text message to multiple city officials that outlined his demands in exchange for agreeing not to file a lawsuit, including the firing of Chief Paco Balderrama and a new flexible work schedule for himself.

Two high ranking city officials confirmed that they have seen the text message and that it contains specific demands from Wamhoff. The Fresno Bee has seen the text and in it Wamhoff calls for Balderrama to be fired within 30 days and for the officer to be provided a new schedule with more flexibility.

In return, Wamhoff said that he would drop any claims against the city except for a workers’ compensation claim. He also wrote he would sign a non-disclosure agreement, if the city would as well.

Wamhoff, who is also the District 1 representative on the Madera County Board of Supervisors, has been an officer for more than a decade and won election to a Madera supervisor seat in 2022. He also formerly served as vice president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, the union that represents police officers.

Wamhoff, 38, did not return requests for comment on Friday. The Fresno Mayor’s Office also has previously declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, and did not return a request on Friday.

Two unconnected high-ranking city officials in Fresno confirmed Wamhoff is the officer whose wife allegedly had an affair with Balderrama. The chief has been under investigation for about five months by the city because of the potentially improper relationship.

The city’s investigation has focused on whether Balderrama skipped over Wamhoff for a promotion, an alleged abuse of authority, so that the chief could keep Wamhoff in a set schedule and more easily continue the affair with the officer’s wife, one of the high-ranking city officials told The Bee.

The report with conclusions from the investigation was turned over to the City Manager’s Office on Wednesday, but it is not finalized and could linger pending follow-up questions, a city official told The Bee.

The city of Fresno started its investigation in February, according to a city news release. Officials have described the investigation as a look into a potentially inappropriate relationship carried on by Balderrama and someone from outside of city government.

The city has never named Wamhoff or his wife.

The chief was placed on paid administrative leave June 12, City Manager Georgeanne White previously confirmed.

Reached by cellphone on June 13, Balderrama said he could not comment about the investigation or anyone involved. “I’m focusing on my faith and my family, and I am trusting that God is in control of the rest,” he said in a text message to The Bee.

The city has not released further details about the investigation or what policies might have been violated.

The Bee confirmed through another high-ranking city official and a secondary source with knowledge of the probe that the investigation centered on Balderrama’s affair with the wife of an officer under his command as chief of police.

Two high-ranking Fresno officials, who spoke to The Bee on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the investigation, confirmed last week that Wamhoff was the officer in question.

Wamhoff’s name was first made public in a report from KVPR Valley Public Radio late Thursday.

The Fresno Police Officers Association union blasted the KVPR report, challenging its journalistic ethics in a news release from President Brandon Wiemiller on Friday.

“The officer’s status as a public figure / elected official has absolutely no bearing on or relevance in this situation,” the release said. “And again, he is the victim, not the accused.”

Is it legal to make demands?

The Bee paraphrased the demands in Wamhoff’s text message to longtime Fresno attorney David R. Mugridge, who said it appeared Wamhoff had not done anything improper in his ultimatum to the city because threatening to sue is not illegal.

“He certainly has the right to sue the city of Fresno, and to sue Paco Balderrama,” Mugridge said. “It’s not as if he’s demanded that they pay him any money.”

Sending demands in a text message to city leaders was a bad idea, however, because Wamhoff ”exposed it,” he said. The text message may also serve as a “presumption of a waiver” of confidentiality, the lawyer said.

As an elected official, Wamhoff retains his right to file a lawsuit as long as he’s not taking advantage of his role in office, Mugridge said. But, the Madera supervisor has also given up the expectation of anonymity afforded to a regular citizen, he said.

Madera County Supervisor

Wamhoff graduated from Reedley High School before moving to Madera Ranchos about 15 years ago, he told the Madera News in January 2023.

He replaced the previous Madera County District 1 supervisor, Brett Frazier, who did not seek re-election after winning the seat as Madera County assessor in 2022.

Balderrama told reporters at City Hall on June 12 he was not allowed to comment on the investigation.

Balderrama took over as Fresno police chief in 2021 when he moved from Oklahoma City, where he was a prominent figure while serving as a public information officer and deputy chief.

Balderrama also made history as the first Fresno chief of Hispanic descent.

The news that Fresno’s chief of police was potentially involved in an alleged “inappropriate off-duty relationship” was met with anger from at least a portion of the rank-and-file officers. The FPOA executive board met June 12, when the allegation was at least one topic of discussion, according an email from the union obtained by The Bee.

Deputy Chief Mindy Casto has been given operational control while Balderrama is on paid leave.