If you managed to miss the breaking political news that dropped in Orange County since Friday afternoon; a few thing happened that you may want to know about.
Hung Jury for Tan
A mistrial was declared in the case of failed Republican Congressional candidate Tan Nguyen. As Martin Wisckol reported over at the Orange County Register;
The jury was hung this evening on two felony counts against former congressional candidate Tan Nguyen, who faced federal charges related to a controversial letter sent to Latino voters in 2006.
Nguyen faced charges of lying to investigators about the letter and asking an uninvolved campaign worker to take responsibility for the mailing sent out to support his failed 2006 challenge of Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana. The letter warned foreign-born Latino voters that they could be jailed for voting illegally.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter polled the jurors shortly before 5 p.m. and then declared a mistrial. Jurors voted 11-1 in favor of conviction on the count of lying to investigators and 9-3 on the count involving the campaign worker. Read more.
A Boot for Todd
The Voice of OC broke the storyon Saturday about the firing of Deputy District Attorney, and former County Supervisor and Assemblyman Todd Sptizer. Norberto Santana, Jr. reported:
Todd Spitzer, a former state assemblyman and county supervisor who was hired as a senior deputy district attorney two years ago after exploring a run against incumbent Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, has been fired, according to multiple sources.
Spitzer was escorted out of his office by a DA investigator late Friday afternoon, according to sources close to the district attorney’s office and county government. Also Friday, the county’s human resources department was contacted and advised of the termination.
Santana was able to get time with Spitzer to find out what happened and posted this follow-up early Sunday morning:
Spitzer Speaks Out on His Firing From DA’s Office
Former state Assemblyman and county Supervisor Todd Spitzer spoke out Saturday, saying he was improperly fired from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office over a routine phone call to the Public Guardian’s Office to check into the status of a case.
Spitzer made the call on behalf of Huntington Beach resident Teddie Alves, who had called Spitzer at the Harbor Justice Center and asked him to look into allegations of domestic violence and elder abuse at the Public Guardian’s Office.
“She [Alves] told me a crime was occurring,” Spitzer said, adding that as an officer of the court, he was obliged to look into the matter. “That’s what’s so ridiculous,” he said about his firing.
That call alone was apparently enough for Rackackaus to fire a man who just months ago he was touting as his possible successor.
“He [Rackauckas] told me I mishandled the situation with the public guardian,” Spitzer said. “I was told this was the only reason I was let go.”
Spitzer said he doesn’t understand the why of firing over the public guardian inquiry. But, he said, “it’s important for people to know what actually happened.”
Don’t you mean two (baby) boots for Todd Gallinger? He and his wife welcomed a son into the world last night.
The Republicans are so funny, when the economy is good you say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers†but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrantâ€. When most Americans (with Latin America roots) go to the polls this November we will remember that the GOP has gone on a nationwide rant in proposing and passing several anti-immigration legislation (that our US Courts continue to strike down) and have continue to blame the immigrant for the flat economy or worse. We will remember who stands with us and who stands against us, so trying to stop it now is somewhat funny, but go ahead, you will not change our minds. Plus the more radical of the GOP are now attacking our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, in a misguided attempt to garner some much needed votes, they really are fools, and leading the GOP towards obscurity because they are no longer a party of ideas, just of empty suits. Your hate made you do it, in November; you will reap what you have sown. I wonder what Abraham Lincoln would say about todays GOP, he unlike the current GOP was a man of ideas.