Lani Kane sent me this flyer. This is posted here as a public service of Right on Daily.
Feb 102024
Oct 262022
Did Mr. Anti-Government Jeff take gifts from people? (Let alone being over the limit)
Jeff Hewitt has some ‘splainin’ to do. And, we are not talking about the 50 liens and the slew of lawsuits he has been in.
This guy has had nothing but trouble with the FPPC – the campaign finance regulators – because he refuses to file his paperwork. Hey, that sounds a lot like his “successful” business! Worse, he has also been lit up for flaunting the rules as well!
The FPPC fined Hewitt $1,111 for failing to report large contributions as required by law. This occurred on five separate occasions. FPPC Case # 17/00038 Total Penalty: $1,111 Respondent: Jeff Hewitt for State Senate #23 2014; Jeffrey F. Hewitt; David Castaldo, Treasurer Govt Code Section Violated: 84203 (5 separate 24-hour report violations)
FPPC fined Hewitt $4,923 for failing to file required campaign reports and failing to during 24-hour period. Hired Ashlee Titus at Bell McAndrews, Hiltachk. FPPC Case # 2018-000248. Respondents: Jeff Hewitt for Assembly District 42 2016, Jeff Hewitt, David Castalado, and Wendy Hewitt.
Your intrepid blogger expects more FPPC complaints are to be expected as a result of Hewitt’s failure to file all $1,000 checks or more within 10 days of receipt last year (dozens).
Currently, five formal complaints have been filed with the FPPC against Jeff Hewitt between 2017-2021. As a result, three separate investigations are currently underway. The two other complaints did not result in new investigations, but were added to the current investigations.
Of the five complaints/investigations:
- two were initiated directly by the FPPC;
- one was initiated by the Secretary of State;
- two were initiated by the Franchise Tax Board;
- BONUS one complaint for violating anti-corruption statutes was initiated by a private party
Another BONUS: Jeff Hewitt also got a warning letter over his conduct from his governor campaign in the failed California Recall of 2021. Hewitt failed to file his form 700 statement of economic interests for his Governor campaign – speaking of transparency.
The five complaints and the three open investigations are listed below.
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Jeff Hewitt: 2 pending lawsuits, 5 pending FPPC Cases, 1 Pending Anti-Corruption Case, and 2 liens since being elected. What the hell else is there that we don’t know about yet?
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To be continued…
Nov 052020
Feb 042020
I have been sharply critical of Fred Whitaker in the months leading up to the removal of OCGOP support for William “Bill” Brough. I believe he was too slow to act, too cautious and too indecisive. That said, as I’ve written in the past, once he committed it has been lights out.
Witness this scathing editorial in the Orange County Register. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED MORE OF FROM PARTY LEADERS.
As the chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, I would like to explain why the OCGOP asked Assemblyman Bill Brough to withdraw from the race for the 73rd Assembly District.
As the Register reported on January 21, two other OC Republican organizations recently joined us in asking him to resign immediately: the Lincoln Club and The New Majority.
This is not a frivolous matter. Here is how we got to this position and it is Brough who put us there.
The complaints began with OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. As the Register recounted on June 21, 2019, Supervisor Bartlett “and three other women came forward with accusations that in recent years Brough had made aggressive, unwanted sexual advances against them.”
I personally sat down with two of the accusers, and then talked to Brough himself. I believed the women, while the assemblyman’s explanations rang hollow. Initially these women were anonymous, seeking to protect their families, but Assemblyman Brough retaliated by publicizing their full names, further victimizing these whistleblowers.
The accusations against Brough should not be conflated with the high-profile accusations in 2018 against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The accusations against Brough are different because they are not only recent and convincing, but they are from respected Republican women here in Orange County. These are women I know and trust.
Bartlett also filed a complaint in 2011 with the city of Dana Point when she was on the city council with Brough. She said, “I still have nightmares.” I believe her.
Two of the Republican women have filed complaints with the state Legislature and these investigations are ongoing. The results are likely to come out after the primary, but before the fall election.
As if that weren’t enough, the state Fair Political Practices Commission also is investigating Brough. Reported the Sacramento Bee, “He is accused of using the money to pay off his family’s cell phone bill, go out to fancy restaurants and take a personal trip to a Boston Red Sox game.”
And a new Register story on January 29 reported the “latest financial disclosures show he spent $57,000 in campaign funds during the second half of 2019 and first weeks of 2020 on flights, hotels, meals and entertainment — expenses similar to those that triggered an ongoing investigation by state authorities over potential misuse of campaign funds.”
That partying included blowing $13,000 taking 19 people to a Rolling Stones concert in the Bay Area, giving a new meaning to the song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The FPPC said its investigation is ongoing and would give no timeline. But the Register estimated, based on the average times of investigations in similar cases, a conclusion could be reached in August – just as the election is heating up.
No doubt a Democratic opponent in the November 3 runoff election would take advantage of all these allegations. Although this has been a reliably Republican seat, with a 13-point registration advantage (41 percent to 28 percent), it’s one we can’t afford to lose.
On a related note – Dear CAGOP Leadership – have you pulled the endorsement of Tyler Diep Yet? If not, why not?
Feb 142019
Just three months before he decided to run for CAGOP Vice Chair, Peter Kuo cut a video (purportedly in Taipei Taiwan) with a bunch of Jade Figurines. The Jade Statues are allegedly from a long-passed Chinese Royal Family (yet the treasure trove somehow made it off the mainland to Taiwan), and are to be the basis for a new crypto-currency.
As we researched Peter Kuo, we found an array of business entities he is affiliated with, one such entity is a Chinese Aircraft manufacturing facility.
There have been several posts on social media about this commercial aircraft venture by Mr. Kuo. However, when your intrepid blogger started talking about it in terms of Mr. Kuo being overseas for weeks at a time… Mr Kuo responded that it was #fakenews
It is the opinion of this blogger that the Venture Capital Company he has a website up for is dubious.
Feedback from several CAGOP Delegates who have watched his pitch video for the unregistered Jade Backed Bitcoin has been negative as well. Most people think it is a scam based on the feedback I am receiving.
Another business venture is linked here. You will notice that there is limited information on the three-page site. It is a startup consulting company that alleges to recruit investors from China, Taiwan and Indonesia. I am struck by the typos on the site, lack of “Who we are”, the lack of testimonials and no physical or mailing address listed.
On one hand, you have Mr. Kuo flying to Asia to pitch start up companies. On another hand, you have Mr. Kuo advertising that he can connect your US company to foreign investors.
On yet another hand, you have Mr. Kuo pitching Jade-Backed Crypto Currencies, and still others you have a website purporting to be for an exclusive group of venture capitalists.
Then there is the Farmer’s Agency in America.
… and, then there is this:
Andra Capital is a late-stage, pre-IPO, technology growth fund where investors can choose to invest traditionally or via an optional liquidity feature — an asset-backed security token called the SILICON VALLEY COIN.
Now we have some patterns. Venture Capital and Unregistered Securities. Cash businesses with no regulatory oversight. Not good.
If I was caught promoting unregistered securities by the Insurance Carriers I represent, I’d lose my contracts with them. I can’t even sell Amway, some of the contracts I have are so strict. I am sure Farmer’s has no idea what Mr. Kuo is doing. Mr. Kuo, as a fellow insurance agent should know that this stuff presents a problem for his insurance practice.
It is the hope of your intrepid blogger that if you are a CAGOP Delegate that you take a look at Mr. Kuo’s business ventures. There are some key questions to ask.
Do they look legitimate to you? What would the California media do with these, as we all know the media is grotesquely biased against Republicans. Kuo’s world looks like easy low-hanging fruit for inuendo.
Since Venture Capital and unregistered securities are near the top of the list for money laundering and fraud type of issues – imagine what reporters could do with their ability to spin.
If you think these businesses are legitimate, how does Peter Kuo have enough time for all of these ventures and the CAGOP?
Perhaps some of these ventures are dead shells? Why have them?
Mr. Kuo’s Farmer’s agency is reputed to be large enough to support his lifestyle. This further ads to the questions as to what exactly he is doing overseas.
No matter how you slice the information about Peter Kuo’s current business dealings they present a variety of problems for anyone concerned about the direction of the CAGOP. The media could have a field day with this stuff, and Mr. Kuo likely will not even be in the country to do his job.
There is a better way than Peter Kuo for Vice Chair.