I’ve made it clear that Melahat Rafiei is my friend. Despite her guilty plea for attempted bribery charges and her pending sentencing in Spring 2025, I’m still her friend. I stand by her.
Think about times in your own life where things were dire. Who stood by you? Who ran? Who listened to you? Who helped you pick up the pieces? Who showed you true friendship?
I weigh what Rafiei pleaded guilty to against her contributions to the FBI in exposing the Anaheim Cabal. Some very corrupt people are going to jail because of what she did. That should have been the end of it, but the FBI had other ideas…mainly that she didn’t help them enough. And the scales aren’t even close. The good outweighs the bad. And how can the average person defend themselves against a body with unlimited financial resources and a 99.9% conviction rate.
We’re a week away from the biggest Holidays of the year. It’s a time for reconnecting, forgiveness, gratitude, family and friends. In that spirit, I spent the morning writing emails to President Biden to ask him for a full presidential pardon for Melahat Rafiei. I wrote to Vice President Harris to ask for her help in securing this pardon. I know Melahat has many friends who read this blog. I know that a number of candidates ran as far as they could from her when her arrest became public. I’d like to ask those associated with her to take 10 minutes and ask the White House to show her Mercy.
If you want to, go to this link and write: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
If she doesn’t get the pardon, I’ll be writing to the judge in the case and ask for mercy as well.
Oh hell no!
Pardon me, but she DOES NOT deserve a pardon!
She’ll get a reduced sentence for her “help” (which btw she’s only doing for her own benefit).
I had a friend who was charged with financial fraud and I was glad she was punished for the crime. Just because she was a friend does not mean we should throw justice and punishment out the window. She’ll was sentenced to 8 yrs, served six, and was recently released.
I hope the lesson was learned!
Completely disagree
She does
Rich and powerful folks break the law and they get public appeals to friends in high places to help solicit pardons from no less than the White House. The indigent and the average get an underfunded public defense attorney. Rafiei broke the law in an attempt to undermine democracy. She tried to subvert government by the people. And she did it to make a buck. She deserves no clemency. Let her pay her debt to society and in so doing repair the damage she did to the trustworthiness of our institutions of government.
and without her, the feds had no case in Anaheim. Which more than makes up for any crime she may have committed. How did you feel about the pardons Trump gabe tp Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn and Roger Stone then?
Dan, I understand the importance of loyalty and forgiveness, but I find it troubling to advocate for leniency for someone who has admitted to bribing public officials to subvert democratic processes. As progressives, we should champion equity and accountability, especially when considering how minor infractions – like petty theft or loitering – can lead to severe penalties for marginalized folks who lack resources or connections.
To rally for mercy based on personal friendship undermines the broader principle of justice and sends a message that those with influence should escape meaningful consequences.
I would much rather read a post on TheLiberalOC about dismantling systems that perpetuate inequality, not posts about selectively excusing those who knowingly exploit them. True progressivism demands consistency in holding everyone to the same standard, regardless of their contributions or connections.
But mike, look what she did to aid the investigation in Anaheim and the result. Zero sum game
Thanks Dan – it’s hard to stand up when people are always trying to push her down. Those of us who know the story know that she was entrapped by the FBI. It’s funny how we know that the cops and the FBI lie, but not in this case?? Without her no one would’ve have had access to the corruption in Anaheim. She did that voluntarily. The feds made up the bullshit about the bribery, and those of us who know her and know the situation understand that. The Democratic Party does what it does best, gets rid of people who are actually getting shit done. Mike Lawson, maybe you should reach out to her rather than making assumptions and believing everything you read on the Internet.
I need to reach out to everyone convicted of a crime or just your criminal friends?
Do I need to reach out to every convicted criminal, or just your convicted criminal friends?
a tad different for Melahat
@Mike, I suggested that you reach out because you knew her as a human being. Not just someone people wrote about. But I seem to be wrong about that. I thought you knew her. Clearly you didn’t.
I find it interesting that the OC Blogosphere legal minds (think Eric, Greg and the implicated Mellissa Fox or is it Mrs. Horner???) along with the kids at Voice Of OC keep throwing around a sentence of 20 YEARS. In reality the AVERAGE time served for the crime and magnitude she plead out to is 16-22 MONTHS.
Much of this is media/gossip/hyperbole as we don’t (at least the public in general) know what went on behind the scenes. There is a clue here as to why Supervisor Do handled his legal issue so swiftly. Meanwhile Vern’s Felony –> Misdemeanor SIXTH DUI took years to resolve, Henry “Paul” Lipton’s METH + weapons conviction took YEARS.
As for the request for leniency, one needs to only look at Dr. Jose Moreno’s wife beating brother-in-law or his lackey, accused Wife Beating buddy Victor writing letters in his own name asking for leniency for what MOST would consider a MUCH WORSE indiscretion. Maybe Fourth District Hypocrite or Run and Hide Diamond or Donna “They Planted A Gun” Nelson should revisit those crimes, before criticizing you.
The OJ guys are going to criticize me no matter what I do or write; I honestly do not care what they think.
May as well pardon Vern Nelson for his multiple DUI’s and sexual harassment. Just sayin…
none of that is a federal crime
Let’s make it one! I’m calling my congressman today.. oh shit, he’s a dem. Nevermind. Dems only use lawfare against conservatives. And we all now know that misguided attempts at using the law to try and take down your political opponents and enemies only results in the voting public giving you a fucking massive beatdown for emulating Central American dictatorships
I seem to remember your side chanting “lock her up” and you seem to have forgotten Trump wanted his political opponents investigated during his first term and is already using lawsuits against media outlets who truthfully reported on him. 4th closest election in history isn’t a beat down
Dan, they may have chanted” lock her up” but chose to give her a pass in the clandestine email server and destruction of evidence. The Dems fully mobilized their base in the legal profession and probably engaged in conspiracy when it was in the planning stages when they chose to engage in political behavior more prevalent in Venezuela or some Eastetn European hellhole. Clinton deserved jail time.. they let it slide.. Don’t get all stat wonky on me.. Trump carried all the swing states and the GOP now controls both houses of Congress. That, my friend is a beat down and utter repudiation of the progressive agenda that the Dems thought was an easy path to victory. You can embrace the latest media hyoe about the slim majority in congress.. a majority is a majority and the Trump admin is going throw the woke identity politics and cultural bullshit on the trash heap of history. Might want to buy an extra box of Kleenex so you are prepared once the tears start falling like rain on the left.
Bob, Vern doesn’t need a pardon. He’s rebuilding his reputation by advising the JL Group (the one who FLEECED the city of Anaheim for a cool million), by having his wife get BE WELL rolling (the one under investigation, whose head honcho Marciel fled into the night under a cloud of suspicion) but hey, Nick Gerda and Supivors Foley and Sarmiento take his calls.
That should make for his BLATANT Anti-Smetism, Asian HATE, unwanted sexual advances, sexual harassment, anti cop, and Cuban bashing…..oh let’s not forget about that “Sick J%w F@g” Jordan Brandman.
No the Nelson’s are pillars of society, just ask…..
.
No, but Vern is holding up the pillars of the storefront at the liquor store while he downs a 40 of Old English and has a smoke before stumbling home to his squalid digs.