Lt. Hunt appeals Carona’s action

The Orange County sheriff’s lieutenant who challenged Sheriff Michael S. Carona in this year’s heated primary election is appealing the department’s decision to demote him for statements he made during the campaign and other allegations of unprofessional conduct.

Lt. Bill Hunt on Wednesday said his lawyer sent a letter Nov. 9 to the sheriff’s internal affairs division asking for an administrative hearing, the first step in the grievance process for county employees.

Hunt, who has served as the sheriff’s chief of police services in San Clemente the last two years, has been on paid administrative leave since June 7, the day after he lost his bid to unseat Carona in a highly charged race that divided the department.

Under a Notice of Proposed Discipline issued to him in October, Hunt would be demoted three ranks to deputy II. The 18-page notice cited a variety of reasons for the punishment, including allegations of breaching professional ethics and criticizing orders.

Should Hunt lose his appeal, the Sheriff’s Department could order him to return to duty at the lower position. At that point, Hunt acknowledged Wednesday, he would have some serious career decisions to make.

“I’m taking it one step at a time,” he said.

Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino said the department is in the process of scheduling a hearing date.

During the campaign, Hunt said Carona’s administration had been tarnished by a series of scandals including the misuse of badges by the sheriff’s political allies who had been appointed reserve deputies. He said he wanted to restore integrity to the department.

Carona was endorsed by most area politicians and the county Republican Party. Hunt was backed by the deputies union.

The sheriff, who needed a majority of the public’s vote to avoid a November runoff, ultimately received 50.9% compared with Hunt’s 26.5%, with two other candidates trailing.

Martin Mayer, an attorney advising Carona, said at the time of Hunt’s suspension that Hunt was under investigation for “public statements, actions and accusations that went beyond those which are protected by the 1st Amendment.”

Hunt, a 1985 graduate of the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy, has worked as a patrolman, a jailhouse deputy, a watch commander, a gang and narcotics investigator, a member and supervisor of the SWAT team, and a tactical instructor at the academy. He made sergeant in 1996, and Carona promoted him to lieutenant in 2002.

His suspension as chief of police in San Clemente sparked outrage in the community of 60,000, leading Mayor G. Wayne Eggleston and other council members to pass a resolution asking for his reinstatement.

Lt. Paul D’Auria is currently serving in Hunt’s place.

christine.hanley@latimes.com