Padilla and Cardenas subject of probe by District Attorney
Memo to "WWG's" favorite newspaper owner Sam Zell.If you really want to revitalize the "OLD GRAY HAG ON SPRING STREET,...for sale", one may want to invest in the flow of newsprint on the continuing follies and dealings at City Hall.
The Los Angeles County district attorney has opened an investigation into whether two San Fernando Valley politicians illegally exceeded election spending limits by raising money through an independent campaign committee, sources familiar with the matter said.
Prosecutors and investigators with the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission have spent the last three months asking questions about the committee and whether it was controlled by two political allies -- state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas.
State law bars elected officials from controlling independent expenditure committees, which usually have no limit on how much they can raise from individual donors or spend on candidates.
Investigators with Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley's Public Integrity Division have served search warrants as part of the investigation, issuing one to Burbank-based accountant Kinde Durkee, two sources said this week. Durkee is listed on the committee campaign contribution reports as treasurer -- and is the only contact for the group.
The Citizens for Dependable and Reliable Leadership committee was formed in February 2005. It supported candidates in the San Fernando City Council election and, a year later, the 2006 candidacy of Lt. Gov. John Garamendi.
The committee spent its largest sum, $54,000, on behalf of the 2005 mayoral bid of then-City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, whom Padilla and Cardenas -- then council members representing the northeast Valley -- supported in the final weeks of the campaign.
One would hope that in 2009, Cooley will have some help from a new, competent City Attorney in any future endeavors to clean up the mess on Spring Street.
Labels: alex padilla, Mayor Antonio Villarigosa, steve cooley, tony cardenas
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 9/06/2008 09:33:00 AM
42 Comments:
Finally a post about L.A. city politics and not another Valley Dull boring Obama luv-ya fest or a Higby boring YouTube video in support of McCain.
Who would have thunk the bad espeller would be the bright light on the blog titled "Home of Los Angeles Politics"
Highy and Valley Dull have made Red Spot and Zuma Dogg the messiahs of L.A. political blogging. Congratulations to Zuma and Red Spot for being community activists who share their insights with the rest of us Angelenos.
"Luv-ya fest" and "bad espeller."
EXCELLENT! That's just excellent!
Why is it necessary to post the entire text of the article if you're also posting the link to the article?
Why the posting of the linked copy?
Just a guess:
(a.) Because some people are too lazy to click the link, and,
(b.) others are in denial and refuse to hear opposing positions.
I would like to see some investigation into what these politicians, already in office, are actually doing as elected officials.
Yeah, they broke the campaign contribution laws...here comes the slap on the wrist. ARE THEY GONNA GIVE BACK ALL THE SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY THEY HAVE MADE FROM DEVELOPERS AND GET BUSTED FOR ANYTHING THEY HAVE DONE IN THEIR POSITIONS?
That's where the REAL investigation should be happening.
Hopefully, Cooley is just working his way up.
Reposting verbatim something from the Times and trying to make hay out of it is a brilliant stroke for this blog, exactly how? The article says Fuentes of failed AB212 is being investigated, too, as Padilla's puppet.
My only reservation about all this is that Cooley's actively meddling in LA City politics, even to the point of seeking out and persuading candidates to run on his platform -- how objective can he be? You can be sure he's not going after his own friends or supporters.
Another investigation by Cooley, notice the targets are people of color. My comments are not about the race card, but one has to wonder why the DA only goes after people of color. I guess those in Beverly Hills, Torrance, Diamond Bar and other cities controlled by White elected officials are sqeeky clean. Only Latino's, Asians and Blacks are corrupt. Oh, yes, Cooley did go after the City of Vernon, but we all no there's not voting base there, so going after the White establishment there was safe for Cooley. What about Newhall and Santa Clarita and the deal Cooley gave to Philobosian and the Newhall Land Company, not to mention Pierce O'Donnell gettubg a slap on the wrist for laundering money. If your someone of color and have influence, you bet good old boy Cooley will target you.
^^^^^^^^^
Yes Cooley will find it very easy to find lots of dirt and corruption on the mexican politicans like Huizar, Reyes, Alarcon and VillaBaboso.
Los Angeles is a major city and should be investigated more often than Santa Clarita. Where are the biggest development contracts being awarded in small suburds or Los Angeles?
I would love to see the FBI investigate every council member of L.A. and I would also like to INS/ICS ddoing more work place raids and immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. hoody hoo
Right, Cooley's public integrity division's prosecution of former EIDC head Cody Cluff was so motivated by race...
I wonder if Zuma Dogg got his under-wear in a bunch like Valley Dull over Pailin's comment about Obama being a community organizer.
Did Zuma proclaim his life a waste of effort like the drama queen from the valley because of Palin's comment directed at Obama.
I didn't see any rants about Palin speech and McCain's background picture over at Zuma's blog, I guess Zuma is too concerned about the corrupt L.A. politicans to think Palin was talking directly to him.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/
Paramount: father killed
Richard Garcia, 37, a Latino man, was shot outside of a home in the 8300 block of Wilbarn Street in Paramount about 1:48 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.
Garcia was sitting outside of a home in a lawn chair with his 12-year-old son when a Latino man walking on the sidewalk approached both Garcia and his son. The man then said to Garcia "Hey, remember me," then shot him several times, said Deputy Denise Fuchs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. Fuchs said Garcia was struck in the upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Garcia's 12-year-old son was also struck by gunfire on his right leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was released after he was treated. The motive for the shooting is unknown, said Fuchs.
The shooting occurred two minutes away from the 8000 block of Rose Street, where almost a month ago two Latino men, Jose Villa 36, and Candido Salazar, 43, were shot to death by two young Latino men. A 2-year-old boy was also wounded in the gunfire. Authorities said the two men were having a barbecue that day.
Reposting verbatim something from the Times and trying to make hay out of it is a brilliant stroke for this blog, exactly how?
******************
Would you prefer Valley Doll or Higby post another of their brilliant YouTube videos.
It's not that "Only Latino's, Asians and Blacks are corrupt," but that it's that they haven't had enough practice to keep things under the radar.
They tend to ramp up too fast and become highly visible (no pun intended) in their actions. Just too obvious... look at Fabian Nunez and his delusions of grandeur. He maintains some high living style and you have to wonder, since lots of Latino politicians like to advertise how they came from a poverty background.
So I see this over and over. They just get greedy- and sometimes they get caught-but usually in connection with other things like drug abuse. See Alarcon and Mike Hernandez on the drug abuse example.
When I hear a politician talk about how poor they were as a kid, I think "Oh no, Another one to watch."
"White" politicians just have more practice, having been used to politics for so long, and the culprits are scattered around, not so much in one area.
A Latino observer in L.A.
Steve Cooley actually ignores alot more than he should. Now since he has his own re-election behind him, maybe his public integrity unit will start making noise again. It's ironic how quiet his office has been over the past year.
It does appear that Cooley's investigations are purely political and high profile in nature. Meanwhile in smaller cities throughout L.A. County, public officials are getting away with all kinds of corruption. Last year, a case in Long Beach was gift wrapped and dropped into Cooley's lap and he did nothing. Perhaps the case was not high profile enough, or the timing of the crime was too close to his own re-election. Today a cheat and convicted drug dealer is underserving on the city council there. An indictment in the waiting.
Padilla and Cardenas. Why am I not surprised?
and to 4:58PM - Oh yeah Baby.You pulled the race card. ROTFLMAO. That was the basis of your whole post.
" Anonymous said...
Right, Cooley's public integrity division's prosecution of former EIDC head Cody Cluff was so motivated by race...
September 06, 2008 5:58 PM"
Good point on one hand. However, that is a case where a very large and influential film community was pushing for a probe for over a year.
From: Sat, Sep 06, 2008 08:19 PM
"One of these days I want to meet you or talk to you. You are one of the most effective things happening in L.A.
That's why they always try and riducule you. They have much to worry about. Maybe you could offer some sound advice. We may not be L.A., but this is where it all happens.
I am sure your boys have a vested interest in our city.
I keep way to hear you on the radio, Kevin James show. But it's been all about the elections, understandbly."
From: Sat, Sep 06, 2008 08:49 AM
I didn't see any of the council meetings this week so I don't know how you're looking, but you sound like you're going down faster than the Titanic. I'm indebted to you for all you've been trying to do. I don't want you to suffer anymore. You're much too valuable a person!
Wish I could play you the phone messages. And thanks to the person who I spoke with on the phone, personally, today who told me that people will be talking about me in a hundred years, based on the things I am saying today. Too kind, too kind. (Personally, I've projected out more like 20 years.)
And of course, gotta check myspace for comments like these:
♥♥ZUMA☆DOG!!♥♥
You are the GREATEST!!!
Tell The:"L*A",.. Council Members,.. That They Are..
¤¤¤F****NG A** HOLE!!! LOSERS!!¤¤¤
Every One Should "Watch" YOU!!!
ON:"L*A" CITY VIEW:"35".!!!!
♥♥ZUMA☆DOG♥♥
You NEEEED Your Own...
"Televison"!! Program!!!!
You Are A:"CLASS ACT"!!!!!
The FUNNIEST!!! Person!!!
At:"L*A",. City Council,..
Meetings!!! WE All LOVE!!!
Waching You During..
"PUBLIC COMMENT" TIME!!!
YESSSSS!!! Tell "THEM",..
OFF!!!!
Sorry my blogging has been down on the McCain/Palin thing...I've just been busy catching up on all my email, voice mail, phone calls, myspace and blog mentions...you could spend 16 hours a day, just doing that.
AND TO LA CITY HALL...Try buying comments like those. YOU CAN'T YOU PHONY STRAIGHT TO HELL LOSERS!
And remember City Councilmembers who I CHOOSE to be nice and cordial to for whatever reason...
don't irritate me with your off-target criticism, or I'll just be real with it, on a day to day basis...AND WHEN I STOP GIVING YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT...All other CMs will be happy as hell...cause you deserve to not only be thrown under the bus, but backed up over and rolled over again...
SO DON'T SAY SHIT UNLESS YOU COME CORRECT. I don't give a fuck about no warm and fuzzy relationship with no councilmemeber, and you;ll find out with the quickeness i was just being nice all along for fun.
Padilla and his guys roam around the city like two-bit thugs.
Cardenas is so high half the time, he cries at his own speeches.
Never forget how Padilla accepted the council presidency, "with the name my padre gave, Alllllhejandrrrloooo Pbaadeeeeyya.
Cheeseball. Dude, did Ike pronounce it EISenhowa? Did Riordan pronounce is ReeORdine?
Get a life you practicer of ingroup-outgroup divisiveness.
You followers of Richard "FBI investigating me" Alarcon.
It's about time....
Oh yeah, and don't forget James Acevedo. No, it wasn't the least bit shady the circumstances he bought his house...
Lock em all up.
A Message To All Councilmembers:
I think you have known it for a while, and ZD makes sure to let you know about the feedback I get from the public...but after this past weekend of feedback on the streets and email/phone/voice mail...
I think even ZD has underestimated the "800 lb Gorilla" factor regarding ZD: So let's just say for the record, as of this weekend, y'all just better get used to the simple fact that ZD means more to your own constituents than any 15 of you mean to your own district.
I may be nice, and tolerate your bullshit warm and fuzzy spin you try and pull on me, and I engage you and all of that...but let's get one thing straight:
They are tuning in to see me, not you. I've exposed you and smeared your bullsh*t right back in your face.
I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYTHING BUT BIG, FAKE-ASS SMILES, LOTS OF TEETH...NICE FRIENDLY WAVES AND, "GOOD MORNING ZUMA DOGG" --
AND I MEAN FROM ED REYES AND JAN PERRY, TOO!
SO TO THE OTHER CMs, YOU BETTER TELL EM TO FAKE IT UNTIL THEY MAKE IT...CAUSE IF THEY DON'T I'LL TAKE IT OUT ON THE ONES WHO I AM FRIENDLY WITH.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN, ALL 15 OF YOU BETTER WAKE UP EVERYDAY AND HOPE THE ZD ROULETTE DOESN'T POINT TO YOU, THAT DAY...
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHO YOU ARE! You're all the same to me. And my phoniness just ran out, thanks to a certain CM (who knows who it is)...so y'all better start working to get in my good graces again, from scratch.
I DON'T LIKE WHAT I AM SEEING IN CHAMBERS EVEN FROM THE ONES I AM FRIENDLY WITH.
START KISSING...THE WRONG CM PISSED ME OFF...AND NOW YOU WILL ALL FIND OUT I WAS BEING PHONIER THAN ANY OF YOU DURING A CM RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
SOME OF THOSE CMs WHO FOUND ALL THAT FEDERAL MONEY FOR ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS NEW HOUSE PAYMENTS BETTER FUCKING FIGURE OUT SOMETHING NICE THEY ARE GOING TO DO FOR ZD!
Another investigation by Cooley, notice the targets are people of color. My comments are not about the race card, but one has to wonder why the DA only goes after people of color.
****************************
Good for Cooley for investigating the mexican politicians. With our open borders it won't be long before many small California cites will be run by mexican drug cartels just like in the very lovely and corrupt country of mexico.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-siege-sg,0,6341973.storygallery
MEXICO IS AT WAR. President Felipe Calderon has deployed 40,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police officers to secure large swaths of the country against entrenched drug traffickers. Criminals unleash machine guns and grenades in urban battles that the State Department describes as "equivalent to military small-unit combat." In the year and a half since Calderon launched a crackdown against drug gangs, about 4,100 people have died. A team of Times reporters is chronicling this new war:
Finally, a hint of self-awareness from the crazy Dogg to go along with another self-glorifying post about how great he is: he admits he's such a sociopath who hates on or "is nice to" people for no reason, just whims.
All about him and getting attention and the phony love from people using him, that he didn't get from Mama. Pity his poor mama.
Cooley's going after political opponents and their supporters isn't a race issue, but how many Mexicans do you know who are NOT Democrats?
When has Cooley ever gone after a conservative or a Republican?
Too many of us know of the corruption in city hall. Thank god David Z is the only reporter in LA that has the balls to do his job and report it. No other reporter ever does his type of reporting. Damn, minorities (I'm Latino) always throw out the race card when they're caught. Blacks use it all the time. Here's one for you ZUMA. BITTER BERNIE is on the MTA Board (major money) took $21,000 in campaign donations for his run at Supverisor. THe LA Slimes hid it deep in a small section hoping no one would see. City council members supporting this idiot should be ashamed. They didn't think enough to reappoint him as Chief but now support his bid for supervisor. What a bunch of clowns!!#$%%&
ALL of these effing, dirty, rotten, corrupt MEXICANS should be thrown out of this country! THEY ARE NOT AMERICANS...THEY ARE DOUBLE AGENTS FOR MEXICO...AND EVEN MY 12 YEAR OLD KNOWS IT!
I have been trying to warn people about Villar for years, but no one would listen until he destroyed the city! Same things goes for Nunez, Reyes, Alarcon, Padilla, Cardenas, Huizar, Fuentes...and ANYONE with a Mexican last name!
We have some fine, upstanding Mexican/AMERICAN citizens in this city, and my suggestion is that we ALL unite to overthrow the filthy, corrupt Mexican politicians!
It's one thing to have a little innocuous American-style corruption, but it's unacceptable and intolerable to allow dirty, filthy Mexicans like Villar & Co., who have NO loyalty to America, to destroy our once great city!
The above-mentioned Mexicans should be indicted on RICO charges, convicted, and put in prison...or executed! Reyes would be on the top of my list! I would love to pull the switch on him!
Cooley is definitely not doing his job, and should be recalled. But if we don't start electing AMERICANS...it will be too late!
Another case in point...David Nahai! What in the hell are we doing with an Iranian running the DWP??? Oh, I forgot...he's Villar's lapdog!
And lastly, we need to get rid of Hahn, Gruell, LeBonge, Zine...and the rest of them because they can't get their heads out of the brown asses!
Here's the question everyone should ask themselves:
If there were only TWO people left on the planet to vote for...Sarah or Obama...who would you vote for?
I guarantee you Sarah would be the winner! If the country is going to go down in flames anyway (which it appears to be doing)...I would much rather have SARAH administering the poison! At least she doesn't have the hidden communist agenda that the magic Negro is harboring under his thinly veiled platform! If Sarah makes mistakes, they will be 'honest' mistakes...not a devious plot to turn this country into a fascist society!
Yep, I'll take my chances with Sarah any day...she has true courage and determination! Also, she will freely admit it when she makes a mistake; unlike the Messiah, who just can't bring himself to say: "I was wrong"!
The Magic Negro has NO redeeming qualities...just an arrogant Chicago south-side thug!
Ooops...sorry, the above post should have been on the Palin thread!
A great "rant" and must read my our own local community activist Sr. Zuma Dogg.
http://ladailyblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/villaraigosa-la-city-council-either.html
Notice community activist Zuma Dogg did not turn "Valley Drama Queen" about Palin comments, but is still focused on the corrupt city officials of Los Angeles.
Correction where correction due: my prior post, made on 9-06 at 7:31 pm- "See Alarcon and Mike Hernandez on the drug abuse example."
That should have been, "ALATORRE"- NOT "Alarcon." Sorry about the mistaken attribution. But let's still be vigilant about that ... and who knows?
still an observer.
Don't see where I said I was great. Just commenting on the public reaction to however it is I am. Of course the comparison is to Councildummies, so it's kinda like shooting fish in a barrel.
But at this point, that debate is over...just make sure they suck up.
I think they have proven they are powerless over this whole "ZD situation." And now a councilmember pissed me off, so they can fucking deal with it.
Sure zuma nutt job is still focusing on local politics only -- he gets off on pushing the envelope of American free speech to go in and be verbally abusive, loud, shrill and literally smell the place up.
Imagine him doing that with Palin/ McCain -- he'd be out on his foul ass faster than matt dowd could shake an incense stick. In jail, probably.
And you NEED Dowd following the nutt dogg around with his incense stick to fumigate the place afterwards.
A great "rant" and must read my our own local community activist Sr. Zuma Dogg.
*******************
Zuma Dogg should you not be so paranoid, it was an obvious compliment. I went and read your comment and it was on point and damn funny (the ghetto spending part).
So I say the same thing "great comment", now learn to chill a little more Zuma Dogg and don't think every one here is attacking you, Savvy ?
LA city clowncil morons supports the illegals. How pathetic that there was no one at the Los Angeles Birthday Celebration at Olvera Street. NO ONE. IT WAS EMPTY. You better believe it was for the illegals everyone would have come out. This is what these morons have turned our city into.
And for those of you who think anyone who speaks out against illegals are racist, not true. I'm legal Latino and sick of illegals taking over our city.
....LA Slimes reporting...Illegal immigrants who return after deportation commit more crimes, study finds
In L.A. County, 75% of inmates who reenter the U.S. engage in more criminal activity within a year. The rate is less for illegal immigrants who have never been ordered to leave.
The L A Times' reported study just shows how Jamiel's Law, which focuses on deporting illegal criminals, isn't the answer. When they're deported, they usually sneak right back, giving them a gift vs. keeping them in jail (which like Baca says, we shouldn't be paying for, but the feds, because they're making the border so porous.)
The problem is that borders haven't been enforced enough, and when deported illegal criminals sneak back, they come right to places like L A to commit more crimes -- usually they're drug dealers or ID thieves or someone with a steady "business" in the underworld.
Once they sneak back, it's often impossible to even know who they really are -- they get new names and ID's.
Plus like the study says, they couldn't even count those who lied that they were born in the US -- like PEdro Espinoza, Jamiel's killer, they are released back onto the streets over and over.
Instead of taking their word, there has to be a way to check WHERE they're born. If they can't prove U.S. birth, they're out of here -- and their home countries must keep them in jail or be cut off from US funds and programs. Otherwise they're back in the US committing more crimes.
Baca's right, we shouldn't pay to jail them in LA -- 1/4 of his jails are fulls of illegals, usually who've committed multiple crimes in a short time. Cooley keeps letting them out of jail -- THAT'S where to start focusing on the problem.
I know a lot of local citizens cannot get work because they have been replaced by low-income workers from outside the U.S.
Well now, it appears as though THOSE workers have been replaced by GOATS!
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The city of Los Angeles is taking a similar approach to clearing weeds just like communities do in fire-prone areas.
A hundred goats will be released in a lot on 4th and Hill in downtown L.A. to eat overgrown brush. The goats will stay for two weeks and eat the weeds plants in the area.
Officials said the animals cost a fraction of what they've been paying vendors to clear the weeds.
ZD says: Alright, I know the City has to belt-tighten, but I wonder if Los Angeles (once the international jewel) will ever live this down. And although it may be a good cost-cutting move...how do you think this plays into the perception that Los Angeles is on it's way to becoming a third-world city, with a move like this? I guess it is cheaper to just send someone in to clean up after the goats than to cut the weeds.
We can have a monkey do a better job than our current mayor, but I don't think it would be a good PR move to replace Villar with a monkey (even though the monkey is more intelligent and can communicate better.)
Maybe we can fill the City Council seats with Dogs and Ponies to save money on special interest contributions and council salaries, since it's only a dog and pony show, anyway.
10:46pm,
oh yeah, i was commenting on another comment, not yours. i was glad you liked that rant. It was a GREAT rant, thank you! (Woke up extra cranky and it seemed to help!)
9:23am, a no-value comment because you do not say what to do instead of what NOT to do. Any loser can say, "we should do this, we shouldn't do that." Alright smart stuff, what would YOU do, besides NOTHING?
LMFAO at this zuma dog guy sending messages on a blog to LA city council members like they give a sh*t about him.Keep the jokes coming.
To be more accurate, 11:58 post
should have read:
"...like any of the city council members gives a s*** about anybody or anything except getting re-elected."
a Council fan.
Just make sure you're smiling and not pissing me off 11:58 AM! Compare what YOU have to lose compared with what I have, if one of you RICO violators piss me off.
No go have a drink and worry about it!
Ever notice how whenever someone claims to have no idea who this Zuma Dogg guy is, they always spell the name wrong, with either two "m"s or one "g". HILARIOUS.
If you are so unfamiliar, then you are READING the name for the first time, and you spell it wrong. It's not complicated. It's D-O-G-G.
It's like the person who claims to have no idea who Zuma Dogg...it's like: I have no idea who this, "Zumma Dogg" or "Zuma Dog" is, or whoever he is...I can't even spell his name correctly, which just proves I have no idea who he is and have never heard of him."
How come the unfamiliar opposition can never spell the simple name, "Zuma Dogg" correctly.
LOL!
Hello,
I was just doing a Google search and happened to accidentally come across this blog. So I just wanted to mention up front, that I am not a regular reader of this blog. But I find it offensive that this so called person, "Zumma Dog" (whoever, or whatever that is) is saying the things he is saying.
As someone who spends a lot of money advertising on blogs, and someone who reads blogs all the time, I will never read this blog again.
So I am posting a comment to let you know why, because although I have never read this blog before because I accidentally just clicked on a link during a Google search, and as someone who does not even know that Zuma is a beach in Malibu and have never even heard of him, I am never going to read this blog again and na-na-na-na-na...it's your loss.
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