Michael Portantino, the publisher of the San Diego Gay & Lesbian Times who leaped to his death last week, was almost certainly going to face criminal fraud charges for allegedly inflating circulation numbers to advertisers.
The sad, sordid tale that will inevitably become part of Portantino’s legacy started before his newspaper — which he took over in 1989 — simply stopped showing up at drop boxes before officially closing in October, leaving untold numbers of staffers, vendors, and tax authorities on the hook for some serious cash. His attorney Marc Carlos was in the middle of on-going negotiations with a San Diego deputy district attorney, whose office was fielding claims from advertisers that Portantino’s numbers weren’t adding up. With advertisers dropping out, Portantino’s financials were hurting.
But Portantino was not destined for prison, Carlos says he told his client. Though it seems even that assurance wasn’t enough to keep Portantino from spiraling into a depression. Says Carlos: “He was distraught over the whole thing — people impugning his integrity. That is what pushed him over the edge.”
Cam
“”Says Carlos: “He was distraught over the whole thing â people impugning his integrity. That is what pushed him over the edge.”””
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The lawyer needs to back off on the P.R. speak, they weren’t pmpugning his integrity if he was actually lying to advertisers and inflating circ numbers. Additionally, i’m sure that many former staffers who were given no warning before they simply didn’t have a job would have a few things to say about his integrity.
Michael
May not be right to speak poorly of the dead, but the only one guilty of impugning Portantino’s character, was Portantino himself. His demise was all about money, and he left a lot of trusting people holding an empty bag.
Kev C
Many businesses, large and small, commit some sort of fraud. But businessmen only commit suicide when they’re caught.
hmmm
Such a hot hot silver fox, at least in that photo. And of course the suicide is sad too.
Benjamin
In case anyone hasn’t noticed, the print business is dying. I’m sure this man did not start out intending to defraud, and for many years times were good, but as the situation got tougher he started taking short cuts, inflating circulation figures, etc., to keep afloat. It’s a very tough economic world out there, particularly for print media today.
Daez
@Benjamin: Its an even tougher world out there for his investors and the people he employed. Trying to make excuses for criminal conduct is not acceptable.
However, I don’t think very many people kill themselves over simply being prosecuted. This man’s issues most likely ran much, much deeper.
dont want to say
I knew Portantino quite well, I have had a personal relationship and worked for him as well. While his death is tragic and even more tragic for his daughter and family he left behind Portantino’s problems ran much much deeper. I question what the defense attorney says as the DA does not negotiate until actual charges are brought. No charges were filed up to the point of his death. Where there is smoke there certainly is fire!!!!!!!!!! For fear of having a lawsuit brought as he already has several going according to SD court records…I will put it like this…. “I allege” đ the fraud allegations were not the ONLY criminal activities going on by Portantino.
Danny
Doesn’t San Diego’s own city newspaper ‘The Union Tribune’ do the same thing…inflate circulation numbers to advertsers?
dont want to say
I don’t know what other companies do, I can only speak for the company I worked for that Portantino owned. People want to down play all the alleged unethical & alleged criminal behavior he was involved in and say it must have been the economy. NO it was not the economy it was a person living way beyond their personal means for years that didn’t know when stop. This person finally backed themself into a corner and as Kev C said above people normally do not jump off a ledge and kill them selves only people that get caught and don’t want to face the music. The company made plenty of money to sustain it’s bills. You cannot spend every last dollar on all your personal bills and NOT pay your employees, contributors and all the vendors on time or at all and commit these alleged and other alleged criminal acts and expect to get away with it. It is a tragic thing that happen here but it is also a tragic thing for all the people left holding the bag that were manipulated by him. Portantino was a bully and most people were afraid to stand up and fight back. I applaud the people that were not afraid to fight back and stand up to him. Jumping was a selfish and a cowards way out but what is done is done. I just pray his family can forgive him and heal and get through this.
Will
Mike’s problems were long standing and profound, he had been suffering from depression for over 4 years and had gone off and on different meds in that time, probably worsening the situation. I don’t for a minute believe that he had done anything criminal. The DA’s office has released a statement saying that there were no criminal charges pending or any criminal investigation ongoing regarding Mike Portantino. If anything, it was a civil matter between his company and it’s clients and if he were still here he would probably be in court for a long time.
That’s not why anyone would kill themselves, he was deeply depressed and not in his right mind and thought this was the only way to end his pain, gossipy speculation and hateful invective are not productive and can only serve to upset his family and loved ones.
If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything.
Really?
@dont want to say:
Do you really believe that he was taking money and paying his own bills? There wasn’t any money to take, his house was mortgaged to the hilt to subsidize the paper as was his mother’s condo. He was facing a long, hard road out of a crippling bankruptcy, not some Club Med vacation on stolen money. But that was not the ultimate reason he took his own life, the truth is he was horribly, clinically depressed and multiple hospitalizations and counseling and medication did not make those thoughts go away. It must have been a very dark place he was in to not see the love and anguish in his family as they fought to save him from himself and your unfounded accusations show your lack of character. I hope his family can forgive you, they have made their peace with Mike.