Category Archives: politics

Case against Illinois governor reveals pattern of corruption

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Here’s a link. Looks like there is an alleged pattern and practice of selling public office and public contracts in Illinois. Here’s a sample or two from the actual indictment:

 

ROD BLAGOJEVICH could use his power to award State of Illinois contracts in order to generate campaign contributions.

ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed his interest in running for President of the United States. During the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH informed Cari that it was easier for governors to solicit campaign contributions because governors had the ability to “award contracts” and give legal work, consulting work, and investment banking work to campaign contributors.

 

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Son of former Assembly Speaker arrested in murder case

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From LA Observed:

Esteban Armando Nuez, the 19-year-old son of the former Assembly Speaker, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the stabbing death of a 22-year-old college student at a party in San Diego in October. Nuez and three other suspects, all 19, face a murder charge and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Full story in the San Jose Mercury News,  here.

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New Nixon Tapes

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The National Archives and the Nixon Library Tuesday will make another 198 hours of tape recordings available from inside the Nixon White House.

The recordings were made in 1972 and cover a variety of topics, including the 1972 congressional elections.

Here’s a snipet of a Nixon Library press release issued Tuesday morning:

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Approximately 198 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House recorded between November and December 1972 and consisting of approximately 1,398 conversations. The conversations cover topics such as the 1972 Presidential and Congressional elections, reorganization of the executive branch, creation of a “New Majority” for a reinvigorated Republican Party or new conservative third party, the late stages of the peace negotiations to end the Vietnam War, and the decision to bomb the Hanoi and Haiphong areas in North Vietnam. All 198 hours of tape recordings will be made available on the web at www.nixonlibrary.gov. They will also be available at both the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA and at the National Archives College Park, MD facility.

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From my mailbag this morning — People care about Prop 8

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Here’s a letter I received just a few minutes after writing a story about the passage of Proposition 8, which bans same sex marriages in California:

Frank, I live in Texas and wanted to get some election results, so I googled “prop 8 results” and your story came up. I am glad it passed, but wow, what a biased slant you give ! You pick up and continue the media line of prop 8 “bans” something, and then throw in the “hate” junk. Please, that is so lame.
Try thinking for yourself.
Nothing about judicial activism that struck down the will of the California people, or goes against nature, and 5000 years of human history !
Try researching and thinking a bit, rather than just blindly following the pied piper.
John
San Antonio, Tx

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DA goes after voter fraud

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The District Attorney’s office is going after a professional petiution circulator accused of registering to vote at addresses where he doesn’t live, according to a press release issed Monday by Steve Cooley’s office.

Mark Jacoby, 25, used the fake addresses to circulate petitions statewide, the DA alleges.

Jacoby was charged with two felony counts of perjury and registration fraud on Oct. 3. He faces five years state prison time if convicted.

He was arrested on Saturday in Ontario and released after posting $50,000 bail, officials said. Jacoby was affiliated with a company known as “Young Political Majors.”

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A criminal blast from a Walnut councilman’s past

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In light of Robert Urteaga’s no contest plea to Grand Theft charges back in 1999, I got to thinking about a case that involved Walnut City Councilman Joaquin Lim back in 1997.

Lim was accused of petty theft after he allegedly left a grocery store without paying for $27 in groceries. Ultimately Lim testified in his own behalf and was acquitted in the case. Some of the original reporting is on the jump.

Continue reading “A criminal blast from a Walnut councilman’s past” »

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Montebello councilman has felony conviction

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Reporter Amanda Baumfeld did extensive research on a story that found Montebello City Councilman Robert Urteaga was once charged with forgery and grand theft. In a 1999 plea deal he plead no contest to grand theft. He’s expressed remorse.

Here’s the top of the story:

MONTEBELLO – A fight over a trash contract turned to mud slinging when a group opposed to the plan put materials from a City Councilman’s criminal record on the Internet.

In 1998, Councilman Robert Urteaga pleaded no contest to grand theft of personal property totaling $30,000, according to court documents.

“When I ran for office, I knew eventually someone would dig into my background and dig this up,” Urteaga said. “I just don’t think that this incident happening 10 years ago is a true reflection of who Robert Urteaga is.”

 

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Blogger accuses talk radio’s Sean Hannity of ripping him off

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You have to read down to the bottom of the entry. Basically. blogger Jim Treacher posted a pre-debate bit of satire Tuesday. This afternoon, talk show host Sean Hannity, heard locally on KABC 790, used the bit without attribution, Treacher said.

<snip>

P.P.P.S. I’m told Hannity used this without attribution on his 10/2 radio show. If that’s the case, and if you enjoy my work, could you please let him know he should give me credit for it? If he’s going to criticize SNL, he should try a little harder than they do.

You can read the rest of entry here.

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California v Miller

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Brian Miller pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of telephone harassment. A poster here the other day claimed Miller pleaded guilty in the case. The poster was wrong.

Here’s a portion of Dan Abendschein’s story:

POMONA – The ex-boyfriend of a woman who has disappeared with their three children was pleaded not guilty on Thursday to making annoying telephone calls to the fugitive’s father.

Brian Miller , the son of Rep. Gary Miller , R-Brea, allegedly made harassing calls to Jude Lopez of Diamond Bar, the father of Jennifer Dejongh, who had three kids with Miller .

The charge is for making repeated calls with “intent to annoy another person at his or her residence.”

Dejongh has been a fugitive for several months after disobeying a custody order and disappearing with the kids in November.

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