The Los Angeles County district attorney's office alleges that Hubbard, 54, gave authorized payments to Christiansen in 2005 and 2006 without the required approvals from the Beverly Hills school board.
Hubbard, who left Beverly Hills for his Newport-Mesa Unified job in 2006, is charged with two felony counts of misappropriating public funds. Prosecutors also say he raised Christiansen's car allowance to $500 per month.
At the time, Ciulla said Hubbard assumed that human resources and payroll employees would know enough about Beverly Hills school district policies and procedures to place a motion on a school board agenda to approve the payments.
Hubbard did not think the approval would "pass through all these levels and nobody would do their job," Ciulla said. "It's ridiculous to think Mr. Hubbard would have that mindset. He had no belief the check would get cut on his say-so. For him to think, 'I think I can sneak this through,' that's ludicrous."
L.A. Deputy District Attorney Max Huntsman said Hubbard knew full well that his actions were against the law when he gave his approval to give the public funds to Christiansen.
In his testimony in preliminary hearings, Hubbard "describes understanding [that] when a contract is made [it needs] board approval, which shows he's lying," Huntsman said, adding that when a subordinate told Hubbard his actions were unlawful, Hubbard said to go ahead and make the payment anyway.
Huntsman argued that Hubbard's actions were breaking "hard, solid law" that everyone knows.
The judge pointed out that subordinates were likely intimidated by Hubbard's position, and may have given Christiansen — who is also facing felony charges — money because the directive came from someone in a position of power.
