SB Now

City Attorney Jim Penman and challenger Marianne Milligan squared off in council chambers for the second time Tuesday night, with a much different result.

In the first debate, sponsored by the chamber of commerce earlier this month, a hyper-aggressive Penman riddled the challenger with criticisms, had a raucous crowd thoroughly behind him and landed blow-after-blow to her public image with nary a response.

Milligan clearly changed her strategy in this debate, to her favor. Who won is not for this reporter to decide, but Milligan's scrapping of the "no response" tactic against Penman's ferocious onslaught was clearly a wise move.

Here is a clip below of Milligan going on the offensive:

Click below for more recap, analysis of the issues, photos and clips ...

Continue reading "Penman v. Milligan, part deux" »

Posted by Robert Rogers at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

So, to the delight of some and the dismay of others, we at The Sun have spent two days taking aim at Jim Penman for his confirmed receipt of a gifted membership to Arrowhead Country Club, which may be valued at an amount far exceeding state election law regulations.

Now, the house of cards may be falling.

The Sun has learned that on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19 new complaints have been faxed to the Fair Political Practices Commission, naming a number of local and federal elected officials and bureacrats.

The complaintant identifies himself in the paper filed to the FPPC as a "current member of the Arrowhead Country Club in good standing."

The name is redacted. The complaint further states: "Please keep my name and information about me confidential as I am concerned that my businesses and family might be retaliated against ..."

We will reveal two of the names now, and withold the others until having had the opportunity to call them for comment. Who are the free membership beneficiaries at the hi-powered club? Click below.

Continue reading "ClubGate: How many will be ensnared?" »

Posted by Robert Rogers at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

In a story in The Sun on Thursday, we reveal that a complaint has been filed against City Attorney James F. Penman for using a free membership to the prestigious Arrowhead Country Club.

The free membership - members typically pay between $2,000 and $4,000 annually for access to the club - may be a violation of state laws prohibiting elected officials from receiving gifts in excess of $400.

Penman (pictured below during a Sun podcast interview) on Wednesday admitted he was an honorary member - ie. able to frequent the club without charge - until March 2006, when he stopped accepting the complimentary membership. But he says he did nothing wrong because his membership entailed fewer benefits than the standard $2,000-plus pass, a defense that members of the club say is untrue.

A spokesman for the Fair Political Practices Commission, the state agency that enforces limits on gifts made to elected officials, confirmed a complaint was received by the agency in October 2006 ... (click below for more)

Continue reading "Penman received free country club membership" »

Posted by Robert Rogers at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

By now, most of the astute readers of this blog are attuned to the details: In their debate last week, incumbent City Attorney James F. Penman toted props of old newspaper articles to buttress his claim that challenger Marianne Milligan not only deep-sixed the city attorney's office in Costa Mesa with a "bogus" lawsuit, but that she did so under a different name, eluding his office's ability to unearth the sordid details before hiring her in 2005 ...

Continue reading "Milligan and Penman: Someone is lying" »

Posted by Robert Rogers at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)