Footnote 4 is the same in both the California Attorney General Rod Bonta’s Application to Stay the Approval and Entry of the Proposed Stipulated Judgment (saying “whoa, wait a minute!” on finalizing the frankly weak resolution of the City of Anaheim’s violation of the Surplus Land Act) and the indictment in the Central District of California case of U.S. v. Ament (where it seems to be the first of what may be many violations of federal law brought in the case, against more defendants.)
It was written by FBI Special Agent Brian Adkins, and is now understood to apply to Melahat Rafiei, who at of Sunday May 15 was:
- a member of the Democratic National Committee representing California
- Secretary (and thus Executive Board Member) of the California Democratic Party
- former Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Orange County
- founder of the new Iranian Democrats of Orange County and a former VP of its state equivalent
- Fair Board member appointed by Governor Newsom
- principal of Progressive Solutions (a name that I’ve argued should generally be read in the way a pest control company might call itself “Termite Solutions)
- a legendarily aggressive and prodigious fundraiser with for major candidates like Kevin de Leon
- campaign manager to candidates including the completely blindsided and now likely baffled and bereft candidate for Mayor of Anaheim Ashleigh Aitken
- cannabis entrepreneur extraordinaire (who, when acting as an agent for fellow cannabis enthusiast and Democratic Party of Orange County Chair, the late Frank Barbaro, managed to win some extraordinary proportion of the licenses raffled off by the Santa Ana government, then run by one of Barbaro’s business partners, Miguel Pulido
- reputed primary advisor to current DPOC Chair Ada Briceno
- advisor to embattled Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan
- reputedly the brains behind the now-sputtering Orange County Power Authority (turning green energy into green)
- Prime Advocate for her #1 client, former Anaheim Councilmember Jordan Brandman (until she had to dump him after some seriously awful texts he wrote became public)
- Queen of the Fundraisers and the False Men; rightful heir to the Iron Chair of the State and possibly National Democratic Parties; the Inexplicably Unburnt; Khaleesi of the Great Grass; Princess of Dragginslime; Breaker of Chains; Collector of Endorsements, Keeper of Composure; and (so far as anyone in politics knew) Protector of the Realm of California Democrats (Apologies to those unfamiliar with Queen Daenerys of Game of Thrones; see the above link)
- Also, though, an FBI informant who did god-knows-what to who-knows-whom, possibly manipulating people into self-incrimination statements on a tapped phone line (and for all we know maybe wearing a wire), so that she’d have more to bargain with in her search for leniency, even if it meant discrediting the Democratic Party in more ways than we may ever know
- Cooperating Witness 1 (CW1 for short)
Now, where were we? Oh, yes: Special Agent Adkins’s Footnote 4 (emphasis is mine)
The FBI has been investigating CW1 since approximately 2018 for violations of federal criminal law to include 18 U.S.C. § 666 (theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds), among others. In July 2019, I sought court authorization to intercept electronic and wire communications over CW1’s phone. I was granted Title III authorization from the court and intercepted electronic and wire communications over CW1’s phone from approximately June 24, 2019 through July 23, 2019. On October 28, 2019, CW1 was arrested, pursuant to a complaint, for violating 18 U.S.C. § 666. CW1 was interviewed on the same day as CW1’s arrest, and CW1 subsequently agreed to cooperate with the FBI in this investigation. The complaint was dismissed without prejudice at the request of the government. Based on my interactions with CW1, and the interactions of other agents with CW1, particularly FBI SA Joseph Nieblas, I believe that CW1 has lacked candor at times during CW1’s assistance in this investigation. For example, I believe CW1 lied to FBI SAs during CW1’s interview on October 28, 2019. I also believe CW1 has omitted material facts to investigators throughout CW1’s cooperation with the FBI, including additional instances where CW1 has offered to pay bribes to elected public officials. However, the FBI has relied on information provided by CW1 in instances where such information has been deemed credible by way of corroboration. CW1’s counsel has indicated to the government that they wish to reach a resolution in this matter. Based on the government’s interaction with CW1 and CW1’s counsel, I believe CW1’s motive for cooperating in this investigation is to receive leniency for the federal criminal violation CW1 was originally arrested for, as well as other possible criminal conduct. The government has not made any promises of leniency to CW1 or CW1’s counsel. As of April 11, 2022, CW1 has no known criminal history.
So: Melahat was arrested on Oct. 28, 2019. Then Melahat ran for California Democratic Party Secretary in April 2021! That’s a year-and-a-half of potentially handing over information about party leadership to the FBI. Possibly even more in the year since her election. (I don’t expect that the FBI would be prone to clarify, but lack of trust for her would suggest a longer period of surveillance.)
In a sense, this is wonderful. I’m a reformer — and am no friend of most of the people leading the state party. If they were engaging in illegal acts, it’s appropriate that they be punished for them. On the other hand, if one party to a conversation knows that they’re being recorded and the other does not, it’s easy for the former to steer the unsuspecting latter party in directions that may be misleadingly incriminating. And Melahat is as canny as they come, agile in verbal conversation, and absolutely shameless. (On two or three occasions when I had a candidate opposing one of Melahat’s, she actually gave me some of her fundraising leads to, I inferred “show what a good sport she was.” What it actually accomplished was making me consider her one of the least trustworthy people I’d ever met.)
There’s also the problem, from a Democratic perspective, that politics is to some extent a zero-sum game — and some of my Republican friends are absolutely over the moon about this, dreaming about taking back state executive offices and making serious dents into the legislative leads. “Melahat” is going to become shorthand for Democratic slime and crime — never mind that so many that she actually ended up helping were Republicans like Mike Carroll and Harry Sidhu — and they will use her a bludgeon wherever and whenever they can. So that part of all this is not fun at all.
What this does provide the state and local parties is a chance to build back on a foundation of openness and honesty — or as much so as Democratic leaders can manage.
I didn’t even bother campaigning openly against Melahat for CDP Secretary last year — although I did some of it privately to friends in the party — because Melahat and her followers had done such a thorough job of poisoning the well against me — but I did warn them after she won the position that they would regret it. But I certainly didn’t expect this: 30 months after her arrest of acting like nothing’s wrong, that she was simply going about her normal ways, extending her empire. On reflection, though, I shouldn’t be surprised that she could pull off being the human equivalent of Covid-19, potentially infecting, and potentially destroying, everyone around her.
All in all, I feel quite fortunate at being excluded from the party at all levels during het 30 months post-arrest; I expect that otherwise I’d have been a convenient target. Those closest to her — Jordan, Farrah, the others on whom she informed — may wish that they were that lucky.
Oh — and I saved the worst thought for last. Is there anyone more likely to receive a pardon or sentence commutation, from either a Democratic President or Democratic Governor of California, than Melahat? She’ll be back someday, I suspect — and possibly with her rights restored. So … beware!
Have you tried or would you be able to locate the affidavit and arrest records for melahat for the October 28th arrrest? Would they be available or would they be sealed because of her cooperation ? She’s listed as a cooperating witness but not a confidential witness . So they may be available ?
I don’t know. Sounds like a good job for you, Paul!
Your article is spot on. Bringing up Mike Carroll, Councilmember in Irvine, is a beginning, as he met with Melahat, Farrah Kahn, Pat Strader, lobbyist for Fivepoint Comnunities, in May 2019 at Starbucks in Irvine. You wrote about this Greg, with little interest apparently some time ago.
We were going thru a Council appointment process to replace my vacant Council seat, and Mike Carroll was asked to give up his Republican registration, for Farrah’s vote, so he would be our next Councilmember
Giving Mike some slack, being new to the process, perhaps he was mislead by this trio because of his lack of understanding government 101 law, though he is an attorney.
I don’t know, but Kahn told him she would cast her vote to support him for Council, if he changed his voter registration. He did, she did, and under the direction of Melahat who worked for Pat Strader, again a lobbyist for Fivepoint communities, all talking together at this coffee shop special meeting.
Another applicant for the position just happened to be there and took pictures of the collaboration of four.
They said they were just having coffee later on but Mike told the whole story after his appointment.
This was an illegal act by our Mayor Kahn, which has been confirmed.
We had an open agenda process and giving up your vote like this, well most would see it as unethical, but it’s illegal to give up your vote.
l hope Mayor Kahn’s questionable relationships, her continual acts of impropriety, her misconduct, her inabilty to tell the truth, many times, will all come to light and she will face the consequences that her public position requires.
Public office is to be held up with honesty, integrity and without intent for politcal or financial gain. So many in Irvine are aware of her anti- community sentiments, though so carefully veiled.
Farrah Kahn hired her chief of staff, who is on Melahat’s payroll and is also paid by Irvine taxpayers. Cory Allen, is her right hand man who runs her office and works as a politcal consultant. He also helps run the OCPowerAuthority, which Kahn and Carroll lead.
That is another major problem which apparently Mike Posey from HB saw was “on the skids ” and left for safer pastures.
In Irvine, it is the team of Carrol, Strader, Melahat and Kahn. And of course Kuo and Kim hang on and out with this majority and rarely oppose their policies.
Anaheim looks bad now and we hope things get corrected for the Angels, a good organization.
Irvine has become Anaheim’s poster child over the past few years, sadly.
This Council are all about their progressive policies of Equity and Inclusion, which I still have problems understanding how this is fairly applied to any of us.
Their policies lack principles such as honesty, justice, openness, transparency and fairness.
Once the FBI has cleaned up Anaheim, it may be advantageous for them to travel south-west to Irvine, get out the “dish towel” and start wiping up the mess here.
The Angels are a good organization?
Please expand. I’d love to hear how an organization that accepts leaked confidential information from an elected official then asks to help said elected official in the next election qualifies as a good origination.
Because that sounds a lot like the kind of organization that needs to be run out of town on a rail.
Arte’s been taking, taking, taking. Can’t blame him for that. Nobody’s been pushing back for the public.
But somebody there knew damn well they were being given secret documents in order to undermine the people of Anaheim. Arte himself? That might be hard to prove.
My comment that the Angels are a good organization, is based on the overall professional players and institution.
If a consultant or management member involved themselves with “politcal pay for play” and tainted the entire organization, shame on them. Just like not all Anaheim Councilmembers can be blamed for this “cabal” of individuals tainting the whole negotiation process.
You can have a “rotten apple” in the family “or two” but it doesn’t mean the whole family is rotten.
Ryan,
You appear to generally be a smart man… one or two or several “rotten apples” doesn’t mean an entire Angels organization, or for that matter, the entire Anaheim City Council, is completely broken.
The Angels organization, the professional players and the institution, is not to be blamed for a “small cabal” of professionals trying to get a “sweetheart deal” to benefit themselves or their organization.
The Anaheim City Council, had and has ethical leaders.
Binding them all up in a woven basket, wrapping them in rope and tossing them all into the sea, wouldn’t be fair or reasonable.
So the bad apples need to be separated out and removed !
I believe there are good men and women in Anaheim both on the Council and in the Angels organization.
Time will prove me right or wrong
Generally. Thanks?
The bad apple is the owner.
Issuing a demand to finalize the deal while federal bribery charges, lying to a grand jury, and brown act violations are all up in the air screams neither sweetness or crispness.
Not sure exactly what other evidence we need to bubble up to the top to the surface of the swamp, but from where I sit 2600 miles away, the smell is already pretty ripe.
Point taken on the players, office staff, and vast majority of the fans– but that’s been the case for fifty years.
It’s nice to hear from the former Irvine mayor, get her point of view and the things she’s witnessed and experienced.
But one thing we know about Ms Shea is she’s easily dazzled and fooled by lobbyists and others who make their case well.
Remember: https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2017/09/sachs-of-bs-shooting-down-the-toll-roads-propaganda/
Oh yeah, most importantly, Mayor, you are to the SouthEAST of us. Southwest is Rossmoor and seals. 🙂
We followed a process at TCA which you apparently didn’t like and got all up and arms about.
However, the process worked and we agreed in the end the numbers didn’t justify the extension … your nastiness really doesn’t allow for proper dialogue then or now .. .no corruption took place, just a different opinion on how to solve the awful south County traffic problems for our residents in the OC.
Amazing Vern how you spin a story to try to nullify the credibility of others., just to defend your friend? …not good journalism or ethical !
Arrested does NOT equate guilt!
Where did you go to law school? Anaheim High???
Yeah, the FBI could be full of shit. They coulda forced her to co-operate out of the goodness of her heart. Awww….
Wouldn’t there still be a report or record of some kind?
Columbia. But it was similar to high school in some ways, mostly the size of the entering class. And they made us wear gym shorts.
Read the affidavit. Oh, forget it, it won’t do any good. She has admitted that she is Cooperating Witness 1, and Cooperating Witness 1 clearly did something bad enough to desire leniency from the justice system. If you had make it all the way through high school, you’d understand.
“As of April 11, 2022, CW1 has no known criminal history.”
Intriguing (and accurate) way of putting it. Charge dismissed without prejudice, so it’s still hanging over her head. Let’s consider possibilities:
(1) Melahat is unfamiliar with the FBI, missed another major FBI investigation focused on Irvine and Anaheim that the Supreme Court just ruled on FBI v Fozaga), and is cooperating because she thinks that the FBI will be more useful to her community or our of a sense of universal humanitarianism.
(2) Melahat did something bad enough to fear prosecution, so she became a cooperating witness.
I will admit that (2) seems considerably more probably, but (1) is a ‘reasonable doubt’.
Interesting possibility though: what if Melahat thought someone was on to her and her wire, so she told someone else to try to shift blame to Brandman…and then suddenly some very nasty texts become public…
Is that even a possibility?
https://voiceofoc.org/2022/05/orange-county-democrats-split-over-future-of-party-leader-after-learning-of-fbi-arrest%EF%BF%BC/
I am wondering why Sidhu was allowed by the Anaheim City Council to be the sole negotiator on a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Were other Council members expecting a campaign cash bonus as well?
That’s a good question, Mike. I forget — is your race against Avelino? This has been a good week for you, if so!
If Ashliegh Aitkens, Jose Moreno, Ada Briceno and others having been quoted as saying they learned of this unfolding scandal in Febuary, why did they NOT speak up?????
Seriously?
Yeah, it must be their fault! For not blowing an FBI investigation prematurely. Damn those Democrats!
Ever heard the phrase “will not comment on a pending investigation?” That phrase usually comes up after someone spreads some gossip around for their own benefit, so that a journalist gets some hint about an investigation and knows who to come back to for the other side.
If they learned about this in February and kept their mouths shut about it until May, that implies that they kept and honored their word to FBI (and general decency – innocence until proven guilty applies in court, but it does not apply to conferring positions of trust). If they hinted that she ought to resign, or any sort of disfavor whatsoever, it would tip her off and could scuttle an investigation lasting multiple years.
Looks to me like the three people you named should be MORE trusted and come out of this with salvageable prospects.
Only Ashleigh said that .
Maybe because they’d be arrested for interfering in an investigation?
I mean, it’s nice that you’re trying to think of a way to turn this around for your own political purposes, but think for a while longer before you post.
Anyone notice the thunderous silence about melahat over at Lib OC and Anaheim observer?
If you see Chumley evacuating the county in a yellow helicopter, let us know!
Dan got a comment yesterday from someone calling themselves Karl Gray, reading “Thank God for Vern and Donna Nelson for exposing this!” (I don’t know if they were being sarcastic or not.)
Dan replied, “No they didn’t. The OC Register, LA Times and Voice of OC all broke the news around the same time.”
What an idiot. Of course Donna, me, and maybe a couple dozen other people have been “exposing” this for a decade.
I do notice that the poisonous, slanderous anonymous comments about myself, Donna & our friends, which we used to get a few times a week (we’ve got them all saved in our trash folder) and which Dan generally prints (like this one https://theliberaloc.com/2022/04/27/mayoral-candidate-ashleigh-aitken-releases-statement-on-anaheims-96-million-fine-to-resolve-angel-stadium-sale/#comment-283272)
Anyway, I’ve noticed that those comments have dried up now, with news of the FBI “Anaheist” probe. Which makes me think that the author or authors were tied up in the Anaheim corruption.
I’m glad I saved all those comments, they have been shared with the FBI and I hope they help in the investigation.
(POSTED ORIGINALLY ANONYMOUSLY as “LIPPOPOTAMUS”, but the real person’s picture showed…)
He might not be posting about it on his blog, but Chumley is very busy defending Melahat Rafiei on Facebook and Twitter against calls from Irvine City Council candidate Kathleen Treseder (and others) to resign.Tredeser asked him what exactly is his relationship with Rafiei, implying a financial relationship.
Anaheim observers server cannot be found ? Nu Al’s page has been taken down ?
I like the way she said that “Legitimate Cannabis Businesses” (Good Guys) LOL – Simply Got Caught Up in All of this – That Money Paid by the Cannabis Company in Santa Ana to the Chamber of Commerce was a Bribe and Ament Spent It on his New Big Bear House.
Every Anaheim City Hall Deal with the Angels – Disney – Street Sweepers – Tree Trimmers – the Police Union – Janitorial – Even Purchases of Light Bulbs – are Now Subject to a Corruption and Bribery Investigation and Audit – It Will Take Years.
You know, the Feds and the State could make a “Stunning Declaration” that the Entire City of Anaheim Government has been Operating as an Organized Criminal Enterprise – for Decades.
Good, we’ve been wanting an audit since the Tait days and earlier.
Your Capitalization Style reminds me of the Revolutionary War Era!
“the Entire City of Anaheim Government has been Operating as an Organized Criminal Enterprise – for Decades.”
Might as well make it official.
The Media is already tired of the story – the Register and ABC Television is so in bed with Anaheim – the Angels and Disney – so bloggers will have to cover it.
I can tell you from watching our statistics that interest here remains very high.
Lotsa ad revenue too – suck on that, Dan!
I went over there. What a ghost town. Ditto Jerb. I wonder why they bother. I don’t wonder why Jerb gets paid. The Kleptos are too fucking stupid to figure out nobody goes to their blog.
I think we got a RICO.
Farrahkhan chimes in re Anaheist, Irvine, her non-involvement in city council in 2018 and her support for Rafiei whose integrity, leadership and ethics she acknowledges. Ack!
https://mobile.twitter.com/MayorofIrvine/status/1527823174645166080?cxt=HHwWgMCtxaTF9bMqAAAA
Shows Bonta the art on her wall.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MayorofIrvine/status/1526978288983257088?cxt=HHwWgMCl6buq9bAqAAAA
Like I said before Irvine is like a ship astray stranded on a desert island.
Goin’ down with the ship?
We have a rift amongst Irvine democrat council members and support of Rafiei.
—-
“Innocent until proven guilty,” said Irvine Councilwoman Tammy Kim, who endorsed Rafiei’s bid for the state party secretary seat. “I don’t know the details enough. I saw her statement, and she said she did nothing wrong, so I will wait to see what unfolds.”
After publication of this article, Kim reached out to reporters and said she thought Rafiei should step aside while the investigation is underway.
Rafiei was one of Kim’s consultants in her 2020 city council campaign, and was paid at least $10,000 according to her campaign finance filings reviewed by Voice of OC.
https://voiceofoc.org/2022/05/orange-county-democrats-split-over-future-of-party-leader-after-learning-of-fbi-arrest%EF%BF%BC/
This is interesting. The DPOC tweeted and then deleted this.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Trisha_Tahmasbi/status/1527763404978630657/photo/1 (CA Dems joins OC Dems in asking Rafiei to resign from all dem posts)
Instead choosing to publish Aitken’s petition asking Sidhu to resign.
https://mobile.twitter.com/DPOC/status/1527395770265006086
DGI want Rafiei to resign.
https://mobile.twitter.com/DemsofIrvine/status/1527812728802332673?cxt=HHwWgsCq-aDl8LMqAAAA
Dems are teetering on implosion. Rusty, where is the leadership?? Gavin??? Hello?
Suffice it to say, Rafiei and at least one of her elected acolytes have approached an appearance of impropriety. Politicians should refrain from such.
And all the positive traction Dems made behind the Orange Curtain with the Purple revolution has been duly compromised.
Greg it’s a good piece. I think you ran with the idea posed in another juice thread. Nonetheless, you’ve circled the bases.
Appearance of impropriety.
https://www.fppc.ca.gov/content/dam/fppc/documents/enf_letter/08-25-14/ENF100.pdf
Show me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.
The Irvine troll printed melahat a resignation letter from the CDP and DNC.
Thanks for the heads up Paul – hilarious stuff, and Dan finally has an “exclusive” related to the Anaheist. Here goes:
“Dear Chair Harrison & Chair Hicks:
“The events of the past few days, and years, have forced me to look inward to consider what I, my party, my state, and its people truly value. My first commitment has always been to the ideals and priorities of the Democratic Party. Knowing this, I must recognize that controversies created by sensationalist press reports about me have become a distraction from the important work of the party.
“Those reports are largely speculative and often flat out wrong: I have never attempted to improperly influence any elected official, and I am certain the work I undertook to root out corruption was in the best interest of the people of this state and the Democratic Party. But I understand that controversy over my role is now a hindrance. My commitment to the party and its causes remains paramount. I will not let sensationalist press reports, rumor, and innuendo compromise the important work that must be done ahead of this election season. It is for these reasons, and these reasons alone, that with great regret, I now resign all positions within the California Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee.
“Having committed myself for nearly a quarter century to the ideals, interests, and priorities of the Democratic Party, I take this step with great sadness. As an Iranian-American refugee, I used my voice and my platform to motivate, inspire, and support immigrant communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and women of color to ascend in a world in which we are still too often unseen, unheard, and underrepresented. For that reason, being an elected representative of the CDP and the DNC has been an incredible honor.
“What began as grassroots advocacy led to my direct efforts on behalf of candidates, my service as the only woman of color to serve as Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Orange County, and my work as a successful political consultant with a track record for helping high quality candidates run, win, and serve. More recently I was honored to make history as the first Iranian-American elected to the DNC and as Secretary of the CDP. Achieving these leadership positions and elevating the platform for women of color in our party is something of which I am extraordinarily proud. My resignation from the CDP and DNC will change nothing about my commitment to the Democratic Party and the values we stand for.
“It was, in fact, my dedication to these principles that led me to accept the request by federal investigators and prosecutors to serve as a cooperating witness in an ongoing investigation to uncover corruption among Republican operatives and elected officials in the city of Anaheim. I was not compelled to cooperate. Any assertions to the contrary are false. I chose to assist federal investigators and prosecutors out of a sense of duty and patriotism. If those individuals now named by federal prosecutors are, in fact, guilty of corruption and are brought to justice, I will be proud of the role I was willing to play despite what that role has now cost me. In the meantime, the rush to judgment that is all too prevalent in politics these days has made clear to me that, for now, the best course of action for me and for the party is to resign from my positions.
“Although I am taking a step away, I devotedly encourage Democrats to keep up the fight. We serve more than the politics that pervade our lives. We serve the most vulnerable populations who often fall prey to the political machine. They need everything we have to offer to not only uplift them, but to protect them. If I am not with you in the trenches, I will be with you in spirit.
“In Solidarity,
“Melahat Rafiei”
“my work as a successful political consultant with a track record for helping high quality candidates run, win, and serve” – candidates like Jordan and Farrah!
She really wants us to believe that she helped the FBI voluntarily out of the goodness of her heart, and because the crooks were all Republicans. Why would the FBI repay her generosity with “sensationalist” accusations of criminality in their sworn statements? Who do you believe, FBI investigator Adkins or Melahat?
Well, Dan warns that he’ll have “a lot to say about this” soon, so maybe we’ll learn we were all wrong!
I’m too close to the story to be a good judge of this, so I put it to our commenters: are these lies at all convincing?
Odd that ahe doesn’t mention the OC Fair Board.
Anyone else think that Dan C. helped write/edit her resignation letter?
No actually, she is a much better writer than Dan (or Jordan, for whom she used to ghostwrite.)
I’m trying to find that extemporaneous riff Jordan went on in a Council meeting sometime about something like putting a soccer stadium in the Carl Karcher land that we wanted the city to sell for homeless housing (maybe even A; Fresco Garderns?) Can you help me find it? That presented Jordan composing his own prose as well as anything.
She doesn’t deny that she was arrested in 2019 or that her cooperation was the result of her arrest.
Postcards of a hanging.
https://youtu.be/p-36PzKGmZE
Queue Ballad of a Thin Man.
https://youtu.be/fGq-a4rcGR8
Given what inside information he’s been getting in all of these years of defending Melahat, the members of the Anaheim Cabal, Arte Moreno, and I think Disney as well, Chumley getting this “exclusive” may not be the best way for him to avoid being interviewed at length by the FBI himself.
Melahat must have known this as well. She is the poison gift that keeps on giving!
Has home town hero Lou Correa had anything to say about this angels stadium deal or melahat yet? Suspiciously silent over there.
He did have a pretty lame statement where he was shocked at what Sidhu did because “he’s a very smart man, a very smart businessman.”
Things overlooked or not addressed by this article.
Melahat’s impact in Long Beach.
https://lbpost.com/news/melahat-rafiei-long-beach-anaheims-corruption-scandal-is-also-shaking-political-world
And, her impact in Huntington Beach. Carr, and some other council members have used Melahat’s PSC services.
Irvine. Kim, Khan. Cory Allen of PSC paid Irvine staff as of 9/2021 helping with OCPA.
Wrap around to HB re OCPA. MIchael Posey, a HB Council member, coincidentally resigned from OCPA after Melahat cooperation was reported.
Progressive Solutions Conuslting, Inc. (Melahat’s outfit) has been suspended from doing business in CA by the secretary of state since 11/23/2021.
And Aliso Viejo councilmember Tiffany Ackley has recently disassociated herself from her recent use of Progressive Solutions Consulting.
https://voiceofoc.org/2022/05/fbi-probe-into-anaheim-shines-spotlight-on-special-interest-spending-in-irvine/
And also council member Letitia Clark of Tustin.
https://m.facebook.com/events/625759228227996/
Nary a mention of Kim Carr’s 3/13/2022 fundraising brunch held by PSG post mortem (CA SOS suspension 11/23/2021) advertised by them on 2/14:2022.
https://m.facebook.com/kimcarr4ca?refid=52
https://m.facebook.com/events/359167612476781?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A%223%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=3&__tn__=HH-R
https://m.facebook.com/psccampaigns/
Putting aside the revelation of Carr’s ties to the Paris-St.-Germain futbol club, Eric, I don’t think that it’s fair to tar every politician who retained Melahat (through Progressive Solutions) as necessarily tainted. You don’t seem to understand how actual electoral politics works.
Due to her having her tentacles in so many places, Melahat was unusually well-positioned to “deliver the goods” for her clients. And if they didn’t make that decision on their own, or weren’t talked into by Ada or the CDP or Keith Freaking Ellison or one of her other political friends, they might find themselves unable to raise funds, get endorsements, and win elections. If this strikes you as similar to Mafia control of commerce, you should rest assured that I know of no instance where Melahat has ever dangled someone out of a window; nor do I think she is physically capable of it. And, before you follow up, I don’t know of her hiring or sweet-talking anyone else to do it, either.
Kim Carr very likely didn’t know the extent of Melahat’s activities. Hell, I didn’t know, and I’ve spent years writing about her. So take a lighter touch with the smear brush unless you have the actual goods.
What are Kim’s ties to PSG ?
Which Kim? And note that in many circles, PSG means Paris-St. Germaine!
But my probable answer will be: I don’t know. Melahat doesn’t disclose her client lists. To me, that’s veering towards obstruction of justice at this point, but I’m not the one crafting her plea agreement.
Greg, you are equivocating now, you parabolic waffler. You said EVERYONE is at risk. Now you want to pick and choose who – but not everyone – is at risk. Why don’t you explain your position, myopic booby one?
Participation-wise, you’ve been at risk.
POWER
I can make the earth stop in
its tracks. I made the
blue cars go away.
I can make myself invisible or small.
I can become gigantic & reach the
farthest things. I can change
the course of nature.
I can place myself anywhere in
space or time.
I can summon the dead.
I can perceive events on other worlds,
in my deepest inner mind,
& in the minds of others.
I can
I am
Morrison, Jim. Wilderness Volume 1: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison.
Called it – years ago. If only Gus were here.
Sadly, she’s still working hard to wriggle free — and still likely a force behind the throne in both Irvine and DPOC. Maybe elsewhere too.
I hear that Claudia Perez (of Planned Parenthood) has taken over some of her fundraiaing clients. Do we imagine that there are no kickbacks?
Wasn’t this Claudia an aide to Jordan Brandman?
I don’t recall, but it’s plausible….
Uh, oh.
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/01/oc-democrat-power-broker-accepts-plea-deal-in-wake-of-anaheim-corruption-probe/?fbclid=IwAR3ffMj2blPntLFFAf5h2w6SQ_LB5t8jE-ibBuf19ES-qnpY1D-w5yNHaBA
Yup we are working on this.