Northern California Legislative Staffers Breaking The Law? Does Anybody Even Care?

Need for Investigation and Ethics Reform (again)???

I came across an investigation story by a Northern California Newpaper in Redding, California that blew me away and raises an even larger set of questions? The Story, in a feature posted online called REDDING.COM SEARCHLIGHT by Ryan Sabalow was published today, Sunday, February 1, 2009

The revelation that former state Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa's chief of staff David Reade's one-man consulting firm pulled in nearly $500,000 on the side during LaMalfa's term hasn't raised a peep at the office that enforces California's election laws.

Roman Porter, spokesman for the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said no one filed a complaint against Reade after a Record Searchlight report revealed that Reade's West Sacramento firm DSR Enterprises grossed nearly $500,000 between 2003 and 2008.

The story goes on to indicate connections (clients) that are heavy hitters in California National State and down to County politics.

The clients, according to the paper, include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New congressman (and then candidate) Tom McClintock, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Nevada County Supervisor and former Assembly candidate Sue Horne and Butte County (located in Northern California) Supervisor Steve Lambert and California Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (who LaMalfa is currently employed by. Even a former Republican Assemblyman cited in the article questions how one could NOT have a conflict of interest if you are running a side political consulting business while you are the Chief of Staff for a Legislator.

I can make the case that an investigation should have been launched some time ago by the California Fair Political Practices Commission concerning this apparent conflict of interest situation when the paper raised the issue to them. Where there is smoke and all. Anyone have any experience with this type of situation?

The full story is here Nobody Filed Complaint To Fair Political Practices Commision and the newspaper/website/author is due a hat tip for bringing this story to light.

Does anyone else in Northern California have additional information on this concern or a watchdog group that would be interested in checking this issue out further? It also seems to me that beyond an investigation there is the need to put some teeth in the State EthIcs laws. So much so it gives me a headache just thinking of the possibilities and an apparent trail of evidence (official filings such as tax returns, business records, filings at the FPPC) that should all be indicating the same thing. Now I see I am on a rant so I will close with....is it just me who smells something rotten this early Sunday morning?

Oh yea, David Reade is apparently referred to as the NORTHERN CALIFORNIA KARL ROVE as detailed in a story here Reade=Rove

More on McClintock, Reade, Pombo, Horne (1+ / 0-)
Nielson's legislative aide now is Mark Spannagal, whom was Tom McClintock's(R, CA-Carpetbag 4) chief bird dog during the campaign. Literally, the guy was put out in front of buildings to watch for any of us to try to keep us from entering the venues where he was doing campaign appearances. God forbid somebody should actually hear McClintock lie his a$$ off during a speech other than the Republicans.
Here's Spanagal working for McClintock on door guard duty while the Move America Forward/RMR PR hacks do their swiftboating routine last September.

I wrote about McClintock using his state campaign accounts as a slush fund for laundering money to his federal campaign here. "Dear Treasurer" (McClintock's)

The question becomes, what was David Reade, Malfa's old and Nielson's new state employee, doing with the "independent consulting" money? FEC records show Reade gave money to Richard Pombo's campaign in September of 2006

Pombo, in turn, was heavily involved in financing McClintock's 2008 campaign under the radar. Pombo joined a political consulting/lobbyist group called Pac/West Communications that the McClintock campaign still "owed" money to for "campaign advice" as of December 2008.
http://www.theverifiabletruth.com/...

When I did a quick search of the state of CA records (I hate reinventing the wheel here, but the Redding Spotlight story isn't that detailed, alas) I come up with this whopper from David Read and his DSR Enterprises for 2008:
To Sue Horne (R) the Nevada County Supervisor who was in the Republican Primary for the state assembly district that Dan Logue recently won, Reade gave her $3,600 in cash and $6,700 in loans for a total of $10,300 in the spring of 2008.
Here's part of the listing for Horne's campaign:
http://Cal-Access.ss.ca.gov/...

Now what does giving a loan do ? It bypasses campaign contribution limits and it obligates the recipient to pay it back.

Now the interesting part is that Sue Horne came out for Tom McClintock quite early,



March 2008, left to right, Dan Logue, Eric Egland, Tom McClintock in front announcing his candidacy in Auburn, Sue Horne on the right.

While Doug Malfa was at the same location earlier that spring, getting his picture taken with Doug Ose when he announced. Yet a whole bunch of people named "La Malfa" were also giving money to Sue Horne during the same time. This illustrates that lobbyists give so much money to these state assembly and senate candidates that they have trouble finding enough other candidates to spread it around to and dispose of it.

"Toads of Glory, slugs of joy... as he trotted down the path before a dragon ate him"-Alex Hall/ Stop McClintock

by AmericanRiverCanyon on Sun Feb 01, 2009 at 10:35:23 AM PST
Cross Post From DailyKos

Reset

The election over and it is time to refocus on seeking out Integrity and Honesty and the real truth somewhere between the left and right talking points (normally somewhere near the center). You are invited to participate, track and report the actions of YOUR newly elected officials. Pretty much all perspectives welcome here. Facts are facts, opinions are just that, opinions! What do you expect the CHANGE that is promised to be for you on a personal level?