The Voice of OC(EA) Shoots; Scores!
Okay, we’ve had some harsh criticism of the Voice of OC in the past, but today Norberto Santana came out with a great expose about OC Fair-employed lobbyist Dick Ackerman, husband of former carpetbaggress Linda, both of whom are residents of Irvine.
Last year our do-nothing DA whitewashed Ackerman’s role in the ’09 OC Fair sale matter, saying he didn’t lobby the Legislature in violation of State law. How did the DA reach this conclusion? It wasn’t through investigative work, that’s for damn sure. Naturally, Amen Corner repuglicans like Matthew J. Cunningham crowed when the whitewash came out, but they’ll be eating crow soon enough. See, Santana got hold of Ackerman’s Nossaman Law Firm’s original billing records. And even though those records were laundered through some “environmental” consulting firm called LSA, the details prove what we here at FFFF have known since the fall of 2009: Ackerman was acting as a lobbyist and that in 2010 the DA was covering it up. The Nossaman billing records show phone calls to members of the State Legislature at $500 an hour. And that was illegal.
We didn’t have the billing, of course. We just had Dicky-boy’s own words:
“In order for the fair to be sold, it would require budget language to authorize the state to sell it,” he said. “I did some preliminary work to get the language in the budget.”
Preliminary work? Well, that’s one way of describing it; and that pesky budget language sure wasn’t going to jump into the bill all by itself, now was it?
Well, Friends, don’t expect any legal remedies anytime soon. Just remember the name: Ackerman. When you hear it, or read it, or smell it, you can bet some monkey business is afoot.
Ohmygod! Someone should call the DA and report this right away!
Uh, is Kamala Harris listening? These are grounds for a recall of TRack.
Wasn’t our politicized phony repuglican DA Tony Rackalhaus too busy phonying up a big time TV News face-time phony law suit against Toyota, trying to make himself the “lead prosecutor” for all of the USA phony lawsuits against Toyota, for the “sticking accelerator pedal scandal” – which damage claims were all proven to be FALSE and based on lying testimony by individuals trying to rip off a big business?
Our DA TRack was just protecting we OC citizens and taking the “lead” because of his special knowledge of automobiles? or the important Orange County connection to Toyota Motor Corp. – HUH ??? or perhaps Track is just an ambulance-chaser phony rip off artist (unless he gets a political or other kick back or payoff), seeking “fame” sort of like that creepy sleazy Eliot Spitzer did to create a political career out of lies and government legal hurrassment of private citizens?
Cunningham’s news flash for today is that Cal is – gasp – liberal!
How long will we have to wait for Red Clownty to inform us that:
1) Ackerman is a lying container of excrement; and,
2) The DA covers up for repuglican crooks?
Maybe it was all just a big misunderstanding.
Interesting post. But “carpetbagress” is definitely not a word.
OMG! Damn, what a sleeze Ackerman is!
$500 an hour just makes one want to scream. Has the man ever tried working at $12 per hour. Such pigs the Ackermans are.
What should one do the next time when GOP Activists see Dick Ackerman at the OCGOP or CRP Meetings in the future?
Disgusting does’t even begin to describe the thoughts of a Republican, though I am a Republican!
We can yell and scream all we want about the GOP machine humming along in perfect synch…..thats what we get after 40 years of being consistently “safe” republican voters.
The real culprits here are the OC Fair Board. Yeah, T-Rack played the tune but it was the political donors and Board members Dale Dykema and Dave Ellis that were shaking the baton. Paying enormous sums of “Our Fairgrounds” money , to termed out lobbyists (like Ackerman) and no-bid contracts to private attorney firms (like Baughs old boss, Manett, Phelps and Philips). Even the PR firm the Fair Board uses is an out of state group that coined the myth “Clean Coal”. They pay them over a million a year and that doesn’t include the media buys. They are using our own taxpayer assets and profits against us. In fact they spent millions trying to buy it for themselves and stuck us with the bill. Time to drain the swamp…..
Grand Jury?
Attorney General…..the Grand Jury is appointed by the DA’s office.
G., you weren’t paying attention. The AG (Brown) recused himself and dumped the matter back to the do-nothing OCDA because of an alleged conflict (i.e. the AG is the Fair Board’s lawyer).
Let’s see: Ackerman gave false information to the DA about what he was doing. True, he wasn’t under oath.
How about disbarring the SOB?
Another slimy ex-politician. Calling Phil Greer, calling Phil Greer! Didn’t T-Rack file that Toyota suit just to quell the mishandling of the Spitzer fiasco? I think so. I think we all agree that the time is now the the AG to step in and throw all these bums in jail!
Rudy,
I wish I had the time to log JUBAL’S posts into an EXCEL sheet, but I am pretty certain you’l find a trend, that after taking POT SHOTS (via posts) the kid retreats and selectively responds.
BUT, NEVER NEVER after a defeat does he step up, he hides…A hired gun with no values for sure; He learned his lesson from the whole Catholic Church debacle.
But consider: Meg Whitman…Nary a word. Hairball…..Crickets (and maybe hopping on SN’s coattails!. Jon Flashman’s BITCH SLAP by his own……………..Still waiting.
My point is, this kid is a commercial, for his products, in most cases the product is an underfunded, underregarded GOP politico. Certainly one unseasoned to know that this lightweight should be kept at arms length.
Was Matt in Sacramento this week?????
EVERYONE ELSE WAS.
Yeah, but he isn’t a “kid”. He looks like he’s well into his 40s. But I bet he’s never had a job not tied to politics and political influence. And yet he poses as a defender of the private sector.
I know that red county will never post negative stuff on OC repugs. They can’t even if they wanted to which they don’t.
Speaking of pugs Dan Cherminowski lit up that Fleischman dude yesterday. Maybe he’s finally done channeling the noise machine.
But back to this post. The DA simply published a report exonerating Ackerman apparently based on Ackerman’s sole say so. And now Kang claims they based it on the evidence they had. But of course they never bothered to look for any independent evidence. INEXCUSABLE!
Rudy, one blogger at Red County routinely takes swipes at Repuglicans, including Curt Pringle and Harry Sidhu. No it is not the majority, but give some credit. Not everyone is sold out to the machine.
Okay, Cynthia, credit where credit is due.
Cunningham’s post du jour was about naming a bald eagle that’s been hanging around Irvine Park.
How’s this for a suggestion for a bald raptor: Carona. One of Cunningham’s heroes.
Ok now THAT is funny.
“F” Rudy, Oh I’ve been paying attention.The AG dropped the Fair Board for an obvious conflict of interest. When they formed a private foundation, and two of the members sent personal checks to the foundation the same day, they voted on a July 29th resolution to sell the property. Now they pay Manett, Phelps and Philips, 600,000k a year, on a no bid contract.
This is the whitewash the DA has put on this whole swindle. Also to cover up on Ackermans activities.
Why this needs to go back to the AG is to investigate the actions of the DA. Was this an obvious cover up?
It sure seems that way.
The DA touts this as being a ten month long investigation , but it resulted in complete distortions and falsehoods.So someone either knowingly lied to the DA, or the DA helped them get all their stories straight. David Padilla the fired Board member was never even contacted by the DA’s office and he has been the only one critical of the sale.
If Orange County has a corrupt DA’s office…it needs to be looked at by the Attorny General.