Well, I guess I played a role in an Orange County politician resigning from office today. Another dubious distinction for my resume.
Readers know I have been reporting here about the apparent jihad that is ongoing by the Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, and the Los Angeles District Attorney, to nail people involved in politics who are registered to vote at one address, but apparently live most of the time at another. Mark Jacoby, a petition gatherer, was charged with a felony along these lines late last year and pled to a misdemeanor a couple weeks ago. I was surprised by the plea, I thought he might have gotten off if he fought the charges. But after his plea, the same authorities nailed liberal Latino activist Nativo Lopez with the same type of wrap, but with FOUR felony counts. He won’t enter a plea until next week, and is out on $55,000 bail. Ouch!
So on the 28th, when I read Teri Sforza’s story appearing in the Orange County Register on the 26th, (I was a little behind on my reading) about Metropolitan Water District of Southern California board member Ergun Bakall, who repsents an Orange County-based district, needing a district plane to fly him from his "retirement home" in Riverside County to somewhere in Temecula for a meeting, I shot a short email off to Teri musing that the situation was really potentially much more serious than previously thought, given the Nativo Lopez prosecution, and that Teri should check out my post on the subject on Flash Report. She did, and then she apparently did what good reporters are supposed to do (asked some really good questions!) and the result is that Bakall ended up resigning today. See the story on today’s Flash Report news round-up.
I’m especially pleased that this was all about a "OC Watchdog" program at the Register that monitors abuse of tax dollars. Good for them! Good for us.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Interesting story James. I think the comments on the OC site are quite telling: yes, the whole thing could have been solved if the D.A. had bothered to ask where the credit card bills were sent, or what addess was listed on this drivers license, etc. The Registrar can’t investigate these issues, or let’s say they are told they are not allowed to by the courts, but the D.A. certainly should have. It shouldn’t have taken you and a reporter to do what was right, and what was legally called for. Good job!
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
I am blushing!
July 4th, 2009 at 12:00 am
He who who toots their horn may be all air….Confucious says….
Lets bring sunshine on real waste in Sacramento. The uninformed taxpayers think Sacramento is where the goodies are…..uncover Mr. Lacy some real lead instead of info on low level puff balls.