Honig Faces Trial on Criminal Charges of Conflict of Interest

By Lonnie Harp

Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig of California confirmed late last week that he will face a criminal trial over felony conflict-of-interest charges following an indictment by a state grand jury.

Although state law-enforcement officials declined to comment on the case, reports of the indictment had appeared in the press earlier last week.

In a telephone interview and in a San Francisco press conference, Mr. Honig continued to vehemently deny any wrongdoing in the state education department's dealings with his wife's nonprofit education firm, which have spawned the state probe as well as...