Weekend Open Thread: Thorburn Fires at Williams

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Brea Observer here!  (Meaning Greg….)  While Vern is getting paid to walk for Andy Thorburn, I’m not getting bupkes from him for anything, so I’m posting this press release from the Thorburn campaign without even telling Vern, because it’s newsworthy.  I’m taking out that half (or so) of it dealing with Thorburn’s background, because that’s boilerplate and this is just about his opponent Ken Williams.

MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate release
January 31, 2020

Contact: J&Z Strategies
info@jacobsonzilber.com

 THORBURN FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST KEN WILLIAMS FOR REPEATED VIOLATIONS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW

Andy Thorburn Files A Complaint Highlighting Ken Williams’ Failure to Comply with FPPC Rules on Financial Reporting

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Today, former classroom teacher Andy Thorburn’s campaign for Orange County Board of Education District 3 issued a complaint to the FPPC calling for an investigation into Board Member Ken Williams’ repeated failure to comply with the California Fair Political Practices Commission’s financial disclosure rules.

Despite being required to file his Form 460 reports by the required deadline, Williams has failed to do so multiple times, for both the 12/31 and 1/18 reporting periods. Neglecting to do so is a clear violation of California’s Political Reform Act.

An excerpt of the complaint can be viewed below:

“Mr. Williams’ failure to submit on time such significant information is a serious violation of FPPC rules, and more importantly, deprives the public and the press of the ability to evaluate his sources of fundraising and any potential conflicts of interest that may arise. Therefore, we are requesting that the Committee review Mr. Williams’ repeated failure to submit a Form 460 on time, and issue an appropriate resolution.”

For more information please visit:  https://www.thorburn4schoolboard.com
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Paid for by Andy Thorburn for Orange County Board of Education 2020

Based on a little research … they seem to be right!  So … what is Williams trying to hide?

Williams is welcome to answer here as to why he hasn’t been filing these required (and highly pertinent) state conflict of interest forms, which tell us where he gets his money and to whom he owes money, if he’s interested.  (OJB will not hold its breath on that.)

(Also note: the photo attached to that story shows a hog, not Ken Williams.  We apologize to the hog for the association.)

About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)