As eloquent as Misha Houser was in communicating the conditions for her inside Hoa Van Tran’s campaign for First District Supervisor, our own Gila Jones made a powerful impact as well. Here is her statement from Tuesday:
Many allegations have been made about things going on in Hoa Van Tran’s supervisorial campaign. Many of these things are truly just allegations and we’ll probably never know whether they’re true.
There are some things we do know, however.
We know that Hoa is very carefully controlled by his campaign manager, Edgardo Reynoso, who rarely, if ever, allows Hoa to speak for himself. I consider this unacceptable. A candidate should speak for himself, not through or with the permission of his handlers.
We know that Hoa was told repeatedly, over a period of more than a month, that his campaign finance report needed to be amended. Though the amendment was finally done, Hoa was either unable or unwilling to persuade his campaign staff to take care of this problem in a timely fashion. When asked specifically at the last central committee meeting why the amendment wasn’t taken care of quickly, Hoa gave an embarrassingly evasive answer. I consider this unacceptable behavior by Hoa.
We know that Hoa has made no response to the allegations of a hostile work environment in his campaign office. Whether or not the hostile work environment existed, Hoa has never distanced himself from the kind of behaviors being alleged. The campaign’s only response has been for Edgardo Reynoso to act in a bullying manner and make allegations about other people. I consider this an unacceptable response by Hoa.
We know that Hoa is unable or unwilling to take control of his own campaign. He is unable or unwilling to speak for himself. He has provided no response to serious allegations against his campaign. He has stood idly by while his campaign manager bullies others on his behalf and instead of fixing problems, blames them on other people. By his silence Hoa apparently condones this behavior. Is this how a County Supervisor should act?
These are facts, not allegations. The allegations made against Hoa Van Tran are irrelevant because we have these facts.
Hoa Van Tran has shown himself to be, in a word, a puppet. He apparently has no spine whatsoever and is very easily influenced by unscrupulous people. Instead of solving problems he allows others to be blamed or bullied. Is this how a County Supervisor should act?
I voted to endorse Hoa at the April central committee meeting because he seemed acceptable enough and there was no other Democrat on the ballot. Some of us may have voted to endorse him simply because he’s Vietnamese.
I don’t buy the reverse racism argument that Hoa must have our endorsement because he’s Vietnamese, and I think all Vietnamese people should be insulted by the notion that the Democratic Party would endorse a spineless, easily manipulated individual like Hoa Van Tran simply because of his ethnicity.
I also don’t buy the allegation being made by the unions that it will look bad if we withdraw this endorsement. No Labor union endorsed Hoa. None. They’re not in the position we’re in, of looking foolish for not revoking this endorsement. The Party is not their primary interest. But it is mine. And it is ours.
As I say, I voted to endorse Hoa because he seemed acceptable enough, but we now have ample facts proving he is NOT an acceptable candidate. It is a fact, not an allegation, that Hoa Van Tran is easily manipulated by others. No person who is as easily manipulated as he is should be on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. We should revoke his endorsement.
I’m still sorry the Party wouldn’t take the necessary action. But voters will. And I hope that they read the statements from Gila and Misha before they cast their ballots.
Thanks Dan for sharing this and Thank you Gila for standing up at the DPOC meeting.