Gorder’s Failed Lawsuit Against Shasta County Backfires, Costing Taxpayers a Quarter-Million Dollars

Shasta County, CA — A politically motivated lawsuit filed by a vocal critic of Supervisor Kevin Crye, Jeffrey Gorder, has been dismissed with prejudice after draining county resources and delivering zero benefit to taxpayers.

In March 2025, Gorder — a former Shasta County Public Defender and leader of the failed recall effort against Crye — sued County CEO David Rickert, the County of Shasta, and the Board of Supervisors. His target: a $40,000 Personal Services Agreement (PSA) with healthcare consultant Chriss Street, which Gorder claimed was improperly awarded and wasteful.

The facts tell a different story.

Addressing a Critical Doctor Shortage

In late 2024, Shasta County faced a severe shortage of physicians. On December 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors directed staff in open session to identify qualified consultants to analyze the problem and recommend solutions. CEO Rickert followed the Board’s direction: he consulted with Health and Human Services Agency staff, interviewed professionals, and presented the need to the Board on January 7, 2025. Supervisors then authorized Rickert to select a qualified consultant and report back within six months.

A formal Request for Proposal process proved impractical given the tight timeline. Rickert interviewed nine healthcare consultants. Only Street and one other could meet the deadline and $40,000 not-to-exceed budget. Street, who served as Treasurer of Orange County from 2006 to 2011, brought relevant expertise in county finance and healthcare. The County executed the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Street on February 21, 2025.

Real Results for Shasta County

Street conducted a fresh Health Needs Assessment (HNA) that corrected understated provider-to-population ratios from Dignity Health’s 2022 study. His verified findings — approved by Dignity — qualified Shasta County as a Countywide Healthcare Professional Shortage Area under federal Health Resources and Services Administration rules. This opened doors to additional federal and state Medi-Cal funding for residency programs, teaching centers, rural hospitals, and expanded patient care.

Following Street’s work and discussions with Dignity Health, the number of annual physician residency slots supported by UC Irvine and UC Davis in Shasta County increased, bringing more doctors to the area.

Lawsuit Collapses Under Scrutiny

Gorder amended his complaint in July 2025, alleging violations of Code of Civil Procedure Section 526a, financial conflicts involving Crye and Rickert, improper bypassing of the County Contracts Manual, and waste. County Counsel retained the firm Best Best & Krieger LLP to defend the case. After discovery, including depositions and document review, Gorder produced no evidence supporting his claims.

There were no financial conflicts under Government Code Section 1090. The contract complied with county procedures, given the Board’s urgent directive. The PSA delivered measurable benefits and was not wasteful.

On June 7, 2026, Supervisor Crye discussed the case’s resolution on his KQMS radio show, expressing relief that it was over. As of April 30, 2026, defense costs had reached $127,000 in outside attorney fees alone. When factoring in staff time for Rickert, County Counsel, and others, the total burden on taxpayers likely approaches $250,000. The case was dismissed with prejudice, barring any refiling. (The Dismissal was filed by Gorder on June 2, 2026, with the Court

The Hypocrisy

Here lies the bitter irony. Jeffrey Gorder, who loudly claimed to be protecting county taxpayers from $40,000 in alleged waste, instead saddled them with roughly a quarter-million dollars in unnecessary legal costs — all while allegedly failing to produce a shred of supporting evidence or case law.

Those critical of Gorder's lawsuit, suggest that he and his allies knew the allegations were baseless from the start and that once his own money was on the line, Gorder dropped the case. Such reckless, evidence-free litigation wastes public resources and deserves condemnation. Shasta County taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for personal or political vendettas masquerading as public interest lawsuits.

Sources:

Shasta County Superior Court Case 25CV-0207689

KQMS Radio, "The Kevin Crye Show", of June 7, 2026