2 days ago
EXCLUSIVE Read attorney's absurd defense of taking a $300K taxpayer-funded salary while working on a CRUISE
A senior San Diego city attorney who was paid a $300,000 taxpayer-funded salary while working remotely on a luxury cruise liner for over three months boasted to colleagues that she was having an 'amazing' time, according to emails obtained exclusively by Daily Mail.
Jean Jordan, Executive Assistant City Attorney for the fiercely Democratic Southern California city, spent 117 days traveling the oceans while exploring stunning destinations.
She visited multiple exotic locales, including Africa, and spent three weeks in Europe, including Gibraltar - a British territory connected to Spain - and Italy, all while she was working; and reportedly accruing benefits and vacation time.
The 65-year-old left on January 20 and was thousands of miles away on the other side of the globe from her office before returning on May 16, according to emails obtained through by Daily Mail through a public records request.
After her controversial trip hit the headlines, internal emails from the City Attorney's office reveal Jordan messaged a city official on April 16: 'It is baffling to me that given all the things happening in the world-that this is front page news. Sigh!'
And she gushed: 'On another note, trip has been amazing! We are having a grand time.'
Jordan visited Africa and Europe, where she spent three weeks, with breaks in Gibraltar (pictured) and Italy as part of her exotic round-the-world adventure - all while she was working; reportedly being paid her salary and accrued full benefits, including vacation time
She wrote to Stephen Cushman, a board member with the San Diego Housing Commission, after he had called critics questioning the integrity and optics of Jordan's trip 'a bunch of jealous yahoos.'
Her boss, City Attorney Heather Ferbert, had previously insisted she was 'in constant communication' with Jordan despite her being on the high seas.
But the internal communications reveal the remote work set-up was far from ideal, despite claims to the contrary.
In fact, Jordan suffered multiple technology-related glitches and potential work-flow hurdles.
She also admitted to being hobbled by the extreme difference in time zones making effective communication with co-workers difficult, including having to reschedule online conference meetings.
She complained to several coworkers via emails, which sometimes included typos.
'The time difference is challenging,' Jordan griped to an assistant back in San Diego on March 6. 'Now that I am in this new time zone I am 13 hours apart.
'So in other words If it is 8:00 am you time it is -it is 9:00 p.m. my time. So for now the earlier in heather's the better for me. The meeting we have now for Friday is midnight my time.'
And on March 13, she wrote to colleague Leslie FitzGerald: 'Miss talking with you. The time difference makes it hard. I will text you later and see if we can make a time work.'
Jordan exchanged multiple emails with office 'Information Systems' specialist Kevin Westover over 'tech difficulties' and 'connectivity' issues, described as a 'problem.'
They appeared desperate to fix on-going issues with using her Hewlett Packard laptop and various systems error messages.
In one email, including typos, Westover asked: 'Hello Jean, your (sic) are still in Gibraltar? Is that considered Europe? Just trying to make sure that exception is on the list. Also, what type of error are you getting from the laptop while attempting to access SAP?'
Jordan wrote: 'Hi Kevin, I cannot access again. I am in Gibraltar. I will be in Europe for the next three weeks.'
She emailed him on March 26: 'I was in Gibraltar yesterday. We are on the way to Italy now and will remain in Europe for about 3 weeks. When I try to get into SAP it says 'This site can't be reached sharepoint may be down or it may have moved to a new web address.'
Also, 'Can't seem to figure out how to get into success factors.'
On the same day she wrote: 'I turned off Global Protect. It is working better now-but I cannot access SAP.
'I have turned off the computer several times. I turned off airplane mode and I tried to get into SAP and it says this site can't be reached.'
With apparent mutual frustration, Westover responded, 'have you restarted the computer?'
He also wrote: 'Can you verify you are connected to Global Protect and screenshot me the settings page from Global Protect.'
Jordan explained: 'I was in Gibraltar yesterday. We are on the way to Italy now and will remain in Europe for about 3 weeks. When I try to get into SAP it says 'This site can't be reached sharepoint may be down or it may have moved to a new web address.'
On the same day, March 26, Westover queried: 'Hmmmmm okay, do you even have access to internet.'
Jordan wrote: 'I have rebooted computer several times. I looked up what that triangle means and it says it is a connectivity issue-something about authentication. Not sure what else to try.'
She also sent him photo images of her laptop screen to help to try to resolve the issue. shots of her computer
In a message to another colleague, with the subject 'BLocked,' Jordan announced: 'I cannot access again.'
On March 18, she emailed yet another colleague 'I am unable to access SAP,' followed by a emoji frown face.
The same day she had an email from the IT department telling her to reach out if she continued 'to have issues.'
Remarkably, a clearly agitated Jordan found time to accuse a Daily Mail reporter of 'lying' in a curt April 17 email to Paola Avila, Chief of Staff to Mayor Todd Gloria, when contacted about her floating workspace.
It followed a request for comment sent to Jordan on March 14 which prompted the following auto-reply: 'Thank you for your email. I am out of the office today April 14, 2025. I will not have access to email or voicemail. I will return April 15, 2025. lf you have an urgent matter please contact Leslie FitzGerald.'
In an email to staff on April 15, Ferbert wrote of the 'benefits to the Office and the City when an employee is willing and able to complete their work remotely but has circumstances that may take them away from the physical office space for a limited amount of time.'
Jordan was on her cruise away from the office for three and a half months.
In the email, Ferbert glowingly described Jordan an 'experienced, well-respected professional who has served the City of San Diego in the City Attorney's Office for the past four years.'
She noted that Jordan had planned to retire toward the end of 2024 and had pre-arranged her cruise but stayed on following Ferbert's appointment to the top post in November.
Ferbert, a Democrat, had 'every confidence' that Jordan was 'completing her work well above the expectations set for all the attorneys.'
Jordan is currently paid $282,651 per year and she was paid $239,000 a year prior to her recent promotion in, per the outlet. She was paid $155,000 in her previous job as attorney for Sutter County, north of Sacramento.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Jordan is a 'Level 1' CrossFit trainer and has a real estate license.
Marlea Dell'Anno, a former lawyer for the city, previously told Daily Mail: 'I can't tell you how many people have called me or emailed me about this. People are outraged!'
'I don't understand how as a leader you could ever think that's a good idea.
'How is the work getting done? You're talking about an executive and a taxpayer funded position.
'There's an expectation of being physically present to lead your team.
'Remote work has its place - but there's a significant difference between working from home and working from a global cruise.
'This stretches the definition of telework beyond what is reasonable.
