Pleading no contest to one misdemeanor conflict of interest charge, Santa Barbara City College’s longtime Director of Financial Aid, Bradley Hardison, received a year of probation and was required to restitute thousands of dollars earned by his spouse through a contract Hardison had arranged.
Between 2013 and 2015, SBCC paid $51,975 to the nonprofit Independent Living Resource Center [ILRC] for the creation of online financial aid forms for students with disabilities. As an independent contractor with ILRC, Nicolas Crisosto earned roughly $37,000 for the work. Crisosto is married to Hardison.
“The investigation revealed that Hardison personally negotiated the contracts with [Crisosto],” according to a press release from the Office of Santa Barbara County District Attorney. “[Hardison] was untruthful about this fact when questioned by SBCC officials.”