In a letter to BART Board members, Inspector General Harriet Richardson announced she will be stepping down as the agency’s official watchdog next Friday. In an exclusive interview with the NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit, Richardson laid blame for her departure squarely at the actions of top leaders at BART, including the agency’s general manger and certain elected members of the board of directors. Richardson argues the agency has repeatedly taken steps to limit her office’s role and resources, thus, hampering her ability to investigate fraud, waste, and corruption within the Bay Area’s largest transit agency.
During the pandemic, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit debuted season two