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“FlashReport” Silent on Reported Indictment of Orange County G.O.P. Sheriff on Corruption Charges
By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento
Sheriff Corona of Orange County faces federal corruption charges according to a Los Angeles Times story today.
Must be pretty bad for a US Attorney from the Bush Administration to indict a Republican!
Corona’s heir apparent in the Sheriff’s office is already serving time.
Corona was a poster boy for the Republican Party. Often featured on Jon Fleishman’s GOP blog as an up and comer. Corona had proposed having people from his office deputized as immigration officials so he could lead the “fight against” undocumented persons.
Corona’s problems outline a problem faced by the Republican Party. Republicans oppose government and praise private sector values. So it behooves us to ask why anyone would run for office on the G.O.P. ticket? Too many, it seems, run to win personal gain for themselves while ranting against ‘government’ and berating the less fortunate in our ranks.
Most of California’s Police Chiefs are insulated from politics. They are law enforcement bureaucrats hired by City Managers. (San Diego is an exception). But a County Sheriff marks the intersection of law enforcement with politics. Before they passed a law exempting gun permit holders from the public records act, a legislative report revealed one Sheriff issuing over 19,000 concealed weapons permits – with a high overlap between permit holders and contributors to the Sheriff’s reelection campaign
Individual police chiefs usually can’t endorse in partisan contests. Every Sheriff can. And Sheriff’s make a nice G.O.P. counterweight to rank and file police groups who tend to endorse Democrats because of the latter’s position on bread and butter issues. Most elected Sheriffs are Republican.
Sources of inside information on crime stories, Sheriff’s find it easy to develop a symbiotic relationship with the press that often produces uncritical stories beneficial to the officeholder.
The lack of critical press. The absence of partisan opposition or a base upon which an opponent might build. These things combine to produce a sense of invulnerability and invisibility.
The situation in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department shows that Republicans should be more careful in vetting their candidates, and it shows that all of California’s Sheriff’s could bear more scrutiny than is currently the case.
Bill Cavala was Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker’s Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.
He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960’s and received a doctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.
Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.
Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.
Comments
What?
Law enforcement saw a dirty cop and took him down?
Shocking (gasp)
What about that other crooked cop, Sheriff Tidwell in nearby San Bernardino County?
He stole over a thousand guns from the evidence locker and got probation (oh I forgot - he had knowledge about the ...uuuh white recreational powder? that was coming through Mena, Ark.
Goes to show - it's who ya know!!!
Posted by: Ghost of the eighties at October 30, 2007 03:37 PM
I have come to believe that there is corruption rampant through all of our justice systems. We experienced the Riverside County Justice system and the lengths they will go to to gain a conviction. The Judges align themselves with the DA's because they are afraid of them. The constitutional rights of the public mean nothing to them. They know "the courts" won't challenge them.
The Governor just vetoed 3 bills that were aimed at beginning to clean up corruption in Law Enforcement. It showed us all where his allegiance rests.
The Duke Rape Case should have been a wake up call to citizens all over the country, but no politician will move to protect us because law enforcement owns this state.
Your family may be the next victim of lies, coercion and intimidation by DA's and their investigators.
Posted by: Morris1 at October 30, 2007 04:37 PM
Actually, concealed weapons permits and applications are not exempt from the California Public Records Act, although a few facts about the requester's claimed need or mental health history may be withheld. But what some sheriffs have been known to do upon receiving a request for the information (especially from a newspaper) is to notify all appicants and holders that they are about to be exposed. That scare tactic is enough to provoke a snitstorm of reaction against the requester, which in the case of a newspaper can be enough to create a lot of discomfort.
Posted by: Terry Francke at October 30, 2007 07:39 PM
Note: to Mr. Cavla
Question: Do you remember the judge in San Bernardino that had a young boy assigned to him. Later there was a lawsuit.
The Judge was Craig Kamanski. The attorney who rep'd the victim was a former member of the legislature.
Do you recall his name?
Thanks
Ghost.....
Posted by: Ghost of the eighties at October 30, 2007 08:12 PM
What is the connection between Sheriff Corona and fellow Orange County Republican Assemblyman Todd Spitzer who is such a tough guy on crime and grandstands against prison time. Has Corona endorsed Sptizer in the past and has Spitzer recieved money from Corona. Enquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: ace chapman at October 30, 2007 09:05 PM
Wasn't this sparked off a few years ago by Corona trying to retaliate against one of his employees for political reasons? I remember something about an outside investigation getting started back then-- today's reports have left out this part of the story about "America's Sheriff," as FOX news used to call him.
Posted by: Jim Carlile at October 31, 2007 12:46 AM
It comes as no surprise that a Republican U.S Attorney might go after a Republican Sheriff. It’s what he’s supposed to do regardless of political affiliation. They are allegations at this point, but if they are true, he should resign and allow someone else to fill the position.
Republicans, as a general rule, insist that their elected leaders have integrity and are honest. And when they aren’t, they soon find themselves replaced. Doolittle (who may not may not be here after the primaries), and Craig come to mind.
It would be more of a surprise if a Democrat U.S. Attorney brought charges of corruption up against a Democrat. Democrats don’t have a great track record of self-policing, or monitoring themselves. The perception is that any fault is excusable.
You state, “So it behooves us to ask why anyone would run for office on the G.O.P. ticket?” That answer is obvious so I’ll assume you’re being rhetorical. At least the GOP holding over 1/3 of the assembly stops the funding of many of those crazy laws that that party passes.
Regarding the scrutiny of Sheriffs. Certainly what you say is true, we should scrutinize all elected officials, not just Sheriffs, regardless of party. That criticism should not be partisan.
How are Democrats in California self-policing their own elected leaders? Scrutinizing the campaign funds and how they have been used comes to mind. Do the Democrats not have honest candidates themselves to replace ones that are corrupt?
Posted by: AngelDecoys at October 31, 2007 09:14 AM
"It would be more of a surprise if a Democrat U.S. Attorney brought charges of corruption up against a Democrat. Democrats don’t have a great track record of self-policing, or monitoring themselves. The perception is that any fault is excusable."
Janet Reno made Ken Starr possible.
Posted by: Jim Carlile at October 31, 2007 06:54 PM
Jim: I'm not suggesting Democrats are all dishonest. Many I know in politcs have a lot of integrity, are honest, and try to do the best they can.
Albiet, they view the role of government extremely different than I do.
I'm only suggesting as a whole, its very rare that I see Democrats self-police themselves.
Janet Reno certainly is one example. Are there others?
Posted by: AngelDecoys at October 31, 2007 07:20 PM
Now is it spelled C A R O N A with an 'A' or CORONA with an 'O'? Could be a case of mistaken identity, a typo, etc., The indictment spells it as CARONA. Will somebody get the crook's name, excuse me, alleged suspect/defendant's last name right before the whole case is thrown out of court on a technicality! Ay, Chihuahua!
Posted by: Citizen Chris at November 9, 2007 07:28 AM
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