Montebello (CD 14 East) Brothers Calderons, Ron and Tom, Indicted on Corruption Charges

The longtime Montebello (CD 14 East) Calderon Political Family is reeling after brothers Ron and Tom are Indicted on multiple counts of Corruption. We ponder what a certain "Los Angeles City Councilman", "two Los Angeles Public Officials" and a future "State Senate President" (as noted in leaked FBI Affidavit), may have to say about today's announcement? 

State Senator Ron Calderon: "My Indictment is this Long".

Darn!! Never bet against Fridays as being the day political bombshells are dropped as witness with the local US Attorney's Office announcement of multiple counts of Political Corruption against the Brothers Ron and Tom of the longtime Montebello (CD-14 East) Calderon Family.

As bloggin friend and (yesterday B-day celebrant) Randy Economy, reports in the Los Cerritos News.

California State Senator Ronald Calderon and his brother former Assemblyman Thomas Calderon have been indicted on at least 31-felony counts it was announced on Friday by Federal investigators.

The indictments were confirmed in a noon time press conference by US Attorney Andre Birotte in Los Angeles.

Senator Ronald Calderon has agreed to surrender to federal authorizes on Monday, and his brother Ton Calderon was taken into custody on Friday.

Ron Calderon faces 24 charges including bribery, money laundering and tax fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 400 years in prison, Birotte told reporters. The senator who represents a wide swatch of Southeast Los Angeles County agreed to surrender to authorities on Monday, Birotte said.

Birotte also said that former Assemblyman Tom Calderon faces seven counts of money laundering and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.

Soon to be State Senate President Kevin de Leon: "I guess Ron won't be needing that paid State Appointment I promised (allegedly) anytime soon. BTW, Affidavits don't lie.

 

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14 



Morning Briefs on the LA City Hall Connection to the Senator Calderon Bribery Scheme

The Political Thunderstorm that is the State Senator Ron Calderon Bribery Scandal cast its shadow on an unnamed LA City Clowncil Central Committee Member as we play a bloggin, "Who was It?"

The looming Senator Calderon Bribery Scandal is about to drench an unnamed City Clowncil Central Committee Member (current or past). 

Would Montebello (CD 14 East) State Senator Ron Calderon please name the Los Angeles City Clowncil Central Committee Member cited in the FBI Affidavit as the potential recipient of payola? 

Great Tuesday Morning to all as we invite you to join in a Bloggin Political Game of "Who was It?". 

Since the leak by Aljezzera America of the FBI Affidavit involving the alleged Bribery Scandal of Montebello's State Senator Ron Calderon, local scribes and bloggers alike, have combed through the document and found linkage in the politically explosive details, to either current of former LA City Clowncil Central Committee Members, which ones only Senator Calderon can elaborate on.

In today's edition of the "Valley Daily Moldy Green Sheet" (aka Daily News), former blogger, turned print scribe Dakota Smith discloses a passage from the FBI Affidavit that links a "Los Angeles City Councilman" to the alleged group of fiscal beneficiaries of Senator Calderon "Pay to Play Scheme" as we note below .......... 

According to the affidavit, Calderon “mentioned several different accounts into which he was considering having the (agent) deposit the remaining money (Californians for Diversity, Senator de Leon, Ronald Calderon for Controller, Ronald Calderon Officeholder, and a Los Angeles City Councilman).”
“The (agent) told (Calderon) to spell out where he wanted the money to go on a piece of paper and the (agent) would do it,” the document states.
Some money was eventually transferred to Californians for Diversity, the affidavit later indicates. The “councilman” is not mentioned again in the document.

........ so simply, who was it?

From reading the FBI Affidavit, most of the direct interaction between the fictitious Filmmaker Rocky Patel and Senator Calderon, takes places in Downtown LA. Further, the base of operations for the phony film company was in Downtown LA's Arts District, which now a part of Clowncil Central Committee Member Huizar's CD 14 District.

Another political sidebar to note in the link of Senator Calderon to LA City Hall, was his brother Tom's role in raising money for the re-election of former "Failure Mayor" Antonio Villar in 2009, which was surely reciprocated in some way by the former Mayor, or possibly his close ally Clowncil Ally Jose Huizar.

Just a bloggin thought ........, but not far-fetch considering that Senator Calderon and current Clowncil Central Committee Member Huizar were on the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles Committee in 2012.

Your thoughts ..............
Scott Johnson in CD 14



Morning Briefs on the Los Angeles Political Machine for Monday

Los Angeles CD 14 City Clowncil Central Committee Member Jose Huizar is linked to the Calderon Scandal. Was Huizar one of the two "public officials" being investigated before the FBI Los Angeles Office directed their investigated resources on the Montebello (CD 14 East) Political Family? 

A dubious distinction to start a new political, bloggin work week. 

** Blogger's note: We would like to thank the embattled CD 14 City Clowncil Central Committee Member Jose Huizar for yet blessing the bloggin political cybershpere with ample content to start off the week. Both the "Valley Daily Moldy Green Sheet's" (aka Daily News) Dakota Smith and the "Old Gray Collectivist Hag on Spring Street's" (aka LA Times) David Zahniser, have stories on the "Dear Charro/ Princeton Graduate" Huizar's link to the State Senator Ron Calderon Bribery Scandal (** Southeast LA County Assemblywoman Christina Garcia has called on Senator Calderon to resign). It seems that the FBI Special Agent who was channeling the ficticious Filmmaker "Rocky Patel", reached out to the CD 14 Clowncil Central Committee Member, regarding obtaining permits for his upstart operations. But what makes this latest angle in the Calderon Bribery Scandal most interesting, is the passage near the bottom of Page 10 of the Aljezzera America leaked FBI Affidavit, that notes the FBI Los Angeles previous investigation of two "public officials". Could "Mr. Rocky Patel's" outreach to the "Dear Charro/ Princeton Graduate", had been predicated on previous information obtain in another investigation? Bloggin intuitions that make you go hmmm---Scott Johnson in CD 14.  ** Mid-day Update via the Downtown News: Councilman Huizar will be hosting a Community Meeting tonight at LAPD Headquarters regarding his endangered Downtown Streetcar Legacy Project, starting at 6:00 P.M.  



From page 10 of the Calderon FBI Affidavit: Inquiring scribes and blogging minds are pondering what two local "Public Officials" were being investigated by the FBI Los Angeles Office?

So Rudy Martinez was right in the 2011 CD 14 City Council Campaign.

Your thoughts ..............

Scott Johnson in CD 14







Morning Treats on the Tricky Calderon ( and enabling Friends) Political Machine for Halloween

As the Sacramento and Local Political Establishments reels from the latest Nefarious Allegations involving the Montebello (aka "CD 14 East") Calderon Political Family, we disclose the supposed, enabling link of possible CD 14 City Council Candidate, State Senator Kevin De Leon, to this politically explosive scandal ........ and its not good. 

State Senator Ron Calderon will push your desired legislation for the right price, (allegedly). 

 What political (via state fiscal) price will enabling fellow State Senator Ron Calderon's alleged schemes, cost Kevin De Leon, in regards to his future political aspirations?

** Blogger's notes: The local political and media establishment is abuzz this A.M. with the alleged "political tricks for treats" by Montebello ( aka "CD 14 East") State Senator Ron Calderon, that unfortunately for him and notorious Calderon Political Family, was an undercover Sting by the FBI, according to Aljazzera America ( link to read the complete FBI Affidavit). The Calderon's have been the focus of the supposed "Establishment Fishwrap of Record" LA Times for their alleged nefarious dealings involving the Central Basin Water District. Yet, the best reporting on the Southeast LA Political Dynasty has been undertaken by the Los Cerritos News tandem of Brian Hews and Randy Economy, who's latest expose links (via audio recordings) State Assembly Speaker John Perez to the deepening scandal. For another local state elected official, State Senator Kevin De Leon (**who was the subject of his own FBI Search Warrant), the report by Aljazzera America (with attached FBI Affidavit), casts him in the uncomfortable political light of being an enabler (for the right political price) for his fellow State Senate Colleague. Further, the page posted below from the Affidavit, may have some legal repercussions for the possible CD 14 City Council Candidate. In his own scheme to "buy" the support of Senator Calderon to retain State Senator Ricardo Lara as the leader of the Latino Caucus, Senator De Leon may have violated various state laws by promising Senator Calderon a future "monetary public asset" ( paid commission appointment) for a political purpose. Thus, he may have dealt himself into becoming the latest, potential political casualty of the Calderon Political Family's nefarious dealings ( and Senator De Leon wonder why this blogger is so cynical, kinda like my thoughts of him becoming the next CD 14 City Councilman)---Scott Johnson in CD 14.          

 The one deal that may derail State Senator Kevin De Leon's future political aspiration.



Mayor Sam's Hotsheet for Wednesday

More excellent reporting from the Latino Politics Blog. A recent post notes that the state legislators who drive the three most expensive government provided vehicles are Senator Ron Calderon, Senator Gil "Two Bill Gill" Cedillo and Senator Dean Florez, who according to the LA Times drive a Cadillac STS, a Lexus 400H and a Lexus LX 400 respectively, all on your dime. The blog couldn't have put it any better when they said "I think that in a climate where so many of us are penny pinching, asking students to make sacrifices or go without summer school, Cal Grants, and face fee increases at public colleges and universities, it certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Californians to have to foot the bill for luxury cars for the state’s already well compensated elected leaders."

Once again William Bratton proves he doesn't get the LAPD or Los Angeles tradition and screws over the men in uniform.  This time he's going against the wish of the both the LAPD union and the film industry by banning retired LAPD officers who work film shoots from wearing LAPD uniforms.  Instead Bratton wants the officers to wear something resembling some local business improvement "safety ambassadors" wear.  The film industry is right to concern than when dealing with issues on a film location the officers wearing the new uniforms won't command the same respect.

So the Mayor has supposedly found private funds to pay the parade to mark the LA Lakers World Championship yet he says even if he hadn't located the donor cash he would have spent City funds anyway.  The Mayor also claims the parade will earn $15 million for the City.  Questions: 1) Who is funding this parade and what do they get for it, 2) Where does the Mayor get off saying he'd spend the funds anyway and, 3) Who really believes this parade will generate $15 million in taxes for the City?

The DWP implemented a "cash for grass" program and no its not related to this photo.  Homeowners who replace their lawn with water saving plants, rocks or cement will get $1 for every square foot of thirsty lawn they remove. Of course, the DWP is playing a bit smart here; if you haven't been watering your lawn and its already dead they won't pay you to remove it.

Neighborhood Councils are among those invited to a "volunteer appreciation picnic" organized by the Mayor on June 27th. No word on how much this costs or who is paying for it but a memo sent by Villaraigosa staffer Antonio Sanchez includes the real reason why the event is being organized: "We hope to organize a picture with neighborhood council members and the newly elected City officials."  There you go. One giant photo op.