The CEO of a brain-therapy center that was awarded a city contract for nearly $650,000 has been Mayor Amy Bublak’s largest individual campaign donor over the course of her political career.
Public records show that Romena Karyakous, a doctor of psychology and the founder of Genesis Behavior Center, contributed $12,000 to Bublak’s campaigns dating back to 2016, two years before Bublak’s first mayoral run. Additionally, two other members of the Karyakous family — both listed as being associated with Romena Karyakous’ businesses — contributed $4,000 each to Bublak’s campaigns during that same time frame.
A prodigious fund-raiser dating back to 2006 when she was unsuccessful in her initial bid for a council seat, Bublak was one of three who voted on Oct. 22 to approve a $642,500 contract that will allow Genesis to administer Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation — a non-invasive brain therapy — for Turlock’s first responders, who can suffer disproportionately from maladies such as depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness due to their high-stress jobs, according to a presentation by Dr. Kevin Murphy on Oct. 22.
Per revisions to the Levine Act that took effect Jan. 1, 2023, city councilmembers must disclose campaign contributions (of more than $250) made during the previous 12 months by parties who have business before the council. Also, no contribution can be made by those parties 12 months after a decision is reached by the council.
The last contribution made by any member of the Karyakous family came in 2021, more than a year before the Levine Act revisions went into place, and nearly three years before last Tuesday’s action.
Still, the optics of such contributions are worrisome to some.
“All campaign finance is inevitably a sticky wicket,” said Stephen Routh, a professor of political science at Cal State Stanislaus.
“The hard line is that all contributions are, potentially, a bribe. You’re giving money to someone to get them elected and, at some point, they’re going to push a policy that you want to see enacted. Then again, it’s protected by free speech, and everybody has the right to contribute.
“But it should be as transparent as possible. Transparency and disclosure are the key things here. You have to let people see what’s going on.”
The mayor denied there was any quid pro quo when asked about the contract being awarded to a prominent campaign donor.
"I can imagine that those who don’t like me will find something to compare this to, but it doesn’t mean I agree,” said Bublak, who ran successfully for mayor in 2018 and 2022. “I’ve reported every dollar that I’ve received. The ethics in my mind are not a question.”
Karyakous, meanwhile, reached out to the Journal via marketing consultant Ralph Carrasco, who, in a wide-ranging conversation, spun the conversation toward councilmember Kevin Bixel.
“If you want to talk about worrisome activities, I question the actions of the city council member — Mr. Bixel — who disclosed confidential information,” said Carrasco, referring to recent disciplinary action against Bixel for discussing sensitive closed-session information regarding a different matter. “This was a legal donation.”
PrTMS was devised by Murphy, a San Diego-based board-certified radiation oncologist who specializes in treating brain tumors.
According to Murphy, PrTMS is approved by the FDA to treat major depression disorders, migraines and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Treating other maladies is permissible, but cannot be advertised as being FDA approved, and must be treated “off label,” he said.
“(We) don't really care about making money on it,” said Murphy. “We have to pay for our services, but we have to get people to see it. … I think Turlock could be a place that starts us, and we have a lot of ties here already in California, in 15 locations, but having a (local) government support that work would be a really powerful thing.”
Bublak, a former law enforcement officer who said she has used PrTMS with success, believes the therapy can help with not only with first responders’ mental health, but their overall performance, too.
“I’ve done it,” said Bublak. “I was a cop. I worked the ambulance. I worked volunteer fire. I know how it is. This is about performance.”
In all, eight members of the public asked questions of Murphy — who attended the Oct. 22 meeting online — or to offer their opinions during the public-comment portion of the discussion. The tenor of those remarks ranged from reluctance to skepticism.
“I’m just really leery about spending ARPA money, one-time money, on something that is really expensive,” said Mary Jackson, a former city councilmember who has frequently sparred with Bublak. “I’ve talked to my neighbors and friends, and everybody’s kind of shaking their heads. It’s not that we don’t support our police here in Turlock, we just want to make sure that our money is spent wisely.”
Of the city’s remaining $1.6 million American Rescue Plan Act funds, the $650,000 contract accounts for nearly 40 percent of that.
Genesis Behavior Center has locations in Turlock, Merced, Modesto, Salida, Ripon, Los Banos, Stockton, Elk Grove and Sacramento.
Councilmembers Pam Franco and Rebecka Monez also voted in favor of the contract, while Bixel and Cassandra Abram opposed.
“We have a lot of latitude with ARPA funds,” said Abram at the Oct. 22 council meeting, who listed ways the money could be better spent, including sidewalks on the Westside, assisting seniors in rehabilitating their homes, or on fire department infrastructure. “The list goes on and on with what we could do with this. This is not the right move for Turlock; I don’t think this is the right move for our COVID relief funds. And I think our council should be looking for other proposals that would impact our community more.”
Businessman Mark Hall, whose holdings included Monte Vista Crossings, has been the mayor’s largest campaign contributor overall, but the majority of those contributions were funneled through his businesses, and not as an individual.
- Journal editor Kristina Hacker contributed to this report.
