Posted on 11/16/2009 10:55:13 PM PST by XHogPilot
SACRAMENTO CA-- In an attempt to head off Republican criticism of its internal inquiry into secret audio taping, Attorney General Jerry Brown asked the Alameda County district attorney's office to look into the matter.
"They've invited our office to review it, so that's what we're doing," said Kevin Dunleavy, chief assistant DA at the Alameda County office. "It will be assigned to somebody who will review the circumstances."
The attorney general's office made the request on Friday, two days after the California Republican Lawyers Association asked the DA's offices in Alameda and San Francisco counties for independent investigations into the secret recording conducted by Brown's former communication director, Scott Gerber.
It is illegal to record someone without their knowledge in California. An internal inquiry found that Gerber had recorded six conversations with five different reporters, including one after being told not to do so by James Humes, the chief deputy attorney general. Gerber, who worked in the attorney general's office in Oakland, has since resigned, though a final review of the case by Gillette asserted that secretly recording news reporters for material that was for public use was not illegal.
Republicans have essentially dared Brown to sweep the audio recording case under the rug while he continues to investigate undercover videotaping by a pair of conservative filmmakers posing as a pimp and prostitute of the community group ACORN in San Diego and San Bernardino.
Brown's decision to ask the Alameda County DA to conduct its own inquiry may force Republicans to climb down a bit. But Lowder said he intends to keep the pressure on by sending out e-mail messages to GOP supporters, relying on conservative bloggers such as Breitbart.TV, Drudgereport.com, and even Fox TV host Glenn Beck -- particularly as the tape case remains intertwined with Brown's ACORN investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
Who “invites” a prosecutor to review something? Someone who is going to leave someone twisting in the wind if the investigation stinks a little.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.