People are going to believe what they want. The purpose of this post is to point out some glaring inconsistencies and a pattern of action – that’s the extent of it.
It appears that many in the Sac RA have come to the conclusion that I and others in the Placer CRA unit are corrupt. Their solution? Endorse and participate in the most massive attempted fraud attempted at a CRA convention ever.
It’s amazing really. I get it – Roger Niello’s crew doesn’t like me very much. Karen England hates me with a passion – so you get a rumor: I tried to sell a CRA endorsement to Ted Gaines. Back on Sept 27th, I wrote about this after an angry Roger Niello staffer started said rumor by calling Karen England.
Niello’s consultant had discussed a job, when that didn’t work out, I helped Ted Gaines. The time for revenge presented itself again a few months later…
When some of the Sac RA put an opponent up against me for CRA office, the rumor was converted into my attempting to sell said CRA endorsement to Niello. Sources have told me that some of those in Niello’s camp may have pivoted on the original story – while others just want it to go away.
The original rumor had another life – on October 15th, I also wrote about the blocking a CRA endorsement for $4k angle. This is from the same Ken Campbell that was forced to resign as Placer GOP Chair for slandering Republican officeholders while still Placer GOP Chairman!
Remember, the accusation I tried to sell a CRA endorsement to Roger Niello is version THREE of the original rumor. Version one $4K to Ted, Version two $4K to block, Version three $4K to Roger!!! If I am going to be subjected to slander – at least be consistent about it!
In my opinion, the attack from the Sac RA was in retaliation both for my helping Ted Gaines’ Senate campaign and for lighting Ron Givens up for opposing Three Strikes and the Death Penalty for hardened criminals. (Two charges Mr. Givens has never refuted)
David Reade disciple Jim Ruffalo dutifully repeated the latest version (sell CRA for $4k version 3.0) in his column after speaking to Sac RA President Tim Snipes. Ruffalo and David Reade have been friends since Reade’s 1996 Assembly Campaign.
Scott Raab, who was trained in GOP politics by the Mark Abernathy / Kevin McCarthy / Bill Thomas moderate machine – re-posted the attack on the Meg County Blog. (Meg County took $110K from Whitman and threw me off for working for Steve Poizner.) (Scott Raab worked for Mark Abernathy in the past)
Some of you got the post CRA Convention email sent by Ron Givens (and others) – Givens was my erstwhile opponent – pulling my 72-year-old father in to the middle of the war. In the mind of the Sac RA people it was excusable because my father, who was upset over the way George and I had been slandered, swore at them. Of no matter to the Sac RA leadership was the situational ethics of the video being taken in direct violation of the convention rules.
I decided to write this piece after another bit of information came out – I knew that some of the Sacramento RA leadership were involved in the anonymous email attacks against the Contract with the CRA slate.
I also believed that Craig DeLuz provided information to those making the anon email attacks. I have talked to him since and found out what he said that was later distorted. This came out in the person of a Sac RA member telling my father that I “supported Andy Pugno because Craig wouldn’t pay me.”
I was attacked for doing paid consulting work and soliciting paid consulting work from others. I guess this will be a familiar refrain from anyone that is on opposite sides of me politically.
Chuck DeVore decided to get angry at me for asking as he apparently believes people should work for him for free. My solicitation of a job turned in to charges of extortion that originated in the 2010 Buena Park CRA Convention. This same mantra was repeated buy the Sac RA leadership leading up to the CRA Convention.
Red County and Jon Fleischman makes thousands off of their blogs, they ask people to buy ads all the time – no big deal. I ask, it is converted in to committing bribery and extortion.
Yet, no one in Sac RA leadership seemed to care that Karen England’s CRI took $27,500 from LaMalfa, $5,000 from George Runner, at least $7,500 from Ted Gaines, $1,500 from Mimi Walters and the list goes on.
Karen’s paycheck is directly affected by those donations that she never disclosed voluntarily. There is no difference between those and me asking Craig DeLuz or Chuck DeVore for a job. (BTW – Niello’s consultant approached me)
In addition, none of those same accusers from the Sac RA seems to care about any conflicts David Reade and Brandon Powers – both full-time consultants may have while being Presidents of questionable CRA units. (In Brandon’s case – 8 questionable CRA units)
Why? Most of the Sac RA was on the same side as the fraud.
Craig DeLuz? I never would have dreamed he’d run for Assembly and then not be able to even raise enough money to file electronically.
I spoke with Craig about an engagement in October of 2009, about the same time I spoke to Chuck DeVore about one. Months before, I gave Craig $250 for his campaign.
I ended up dual-endorsing Andy Pugno in March of 2010 because Pugno was no less Conservative than Craig DeLuz, but Pugno had the resources to win.
Andy Pugno is general counsel for Prop 8!!!
($5 million later spent on Richard Pan, Pugno was beaten)
Add that to the Sac RA resentment list against Placer. We stood up and stopped a CRA endorsement of Craig DeLuz in 2010.
Ultimately, Craig finished fourth in a 6 person GOP Field.
The Sac RA’s CRA convention highlights are as follows –
1. Ron Givens was in the middle of the disruptions of the CRA Convention both Friday evening and Saturday. This included opening the door to the closed session while people outside were yelling.
2. Jorge Riley pulled the host committee resolution so he and others from the Sac RA could vote against it. Classy.
3. The Sac RA delegation pulled the Placer RA’s delegation in an attempt to have the convention de-credential us.
I saw how angry many of the Sac RA people were after the convention when their side lost. This was no ordinary CRA officer election, they tried to destroy me personally and everyone else from the Placer RA they could get their hands on.
This whole exercise is absurd. People un-initiated to GOP politics would read this blog and say, “what a bunch of idiots” about ALL of us…
They are right – We should be out registering voters, building clubs and recruiting candidates for 2012.
Will there be reconciliation between the Sac and Placer RA? I am not sure – because the core issue of the rift may not be curable.