Posted on 02/04/2005 4:12:31 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Secretary of State Kevin Shelley was to announce his resignation Friday amid investigations into his handling of federal election funds, questionable campaign contributions and bad behavior, a source close to Shelley told The Associated Press.
Shelley, 49, was leaving his $131,250-a-year post before having to testify later this month at a Legislature audit committee hearing about his handling of millions of dollars in federal elections funds.
Shelley, the son of former San Francisco Mayor and U.S. Rep. Jack Shelley, was once one of California's rising political stars. His move paves the way for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, to name a replacement for the Democrat.
The former state Assemblyman is the first statewide elected official to quit since June 2002, when Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, a Republican, resigned after accusations that he tapped millions of dollars in earthquake funds to further his political career.
Shelley is the second official to tumble after an all-Democratic sweep of California's eight constitutional offices in 2002. The first, former Gov. Gray Davis, was recalled by voters a year later.
While not being charged with breaking state or federal laws, Shelley found himself embroiled in controversy over the handling of $46 million in Help America Vote Act funds and charges by ex-employees of temper tantrums and a hostile work environment.
The state Board of Personnel also criticized some of his office hiring practices as possibly illegal and a throwback to the "spoils system." Shelley likewise faced federal, state and local investigations for accepting $125,000 in campaign funds from recipients of state grant funds for a San Francisco neighborhood center that was never built.
A December state audit, which State Auditor Elaine Howle called one of the more serious reports issued by her office, charged Shelley with poor management of the HAVA funds and poor oversight of staff and consultants.
The federal act passed by Congress in 2002 authorized nearly $4 billion nationally to modernize voting systems and help prevent disenfranchisement of voters following the 2000 presidential election debacle in Florida.
Were they actually valid, or was this merely a political hit-job conducted by the Dems?
**FILE PHOTO** A grim-faced Secretary of State Kevin Shelley listens to a question during a news conference Friday, April 30, 2004 in Sacramento, Calif. California's embattled secretary of state plans to resign amid investigations into his handling of federal election funds and questionable campaign contributions, a source close to the official told The Associated Press on Friday. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) >
Chuck stuck him fingers in some 'cookie jars' and got caught. He knew it, The dems knew it,, and revelled in it. Payback is a bitch.
Shmelley needs a thorough investigation by the state and feds.. and let the chips fall where they may.
As a casual observer, the Quakenbush scandal reminded me of the trumped-up charges leveled against the former Republican governors of Alabama and Arizona, who-if I recall correctly-wound up having their convictions expunged later on.
I suppose that a position like "insurance commissioner" is a lucrative honey pot, if you're inclined towards corruption.
-good times, G.J.P. (Jr.)
This will probably get him off the hook with the State. The Feds are a completely different issue.
On to PeRATA!!! :}
The Feds will make an example of him before it is all done with, is my bet.
Notice the past tense, "faced." Does this mean that the feds have agreed to back off, too, in return for his resigning? Or just that the California Democrats and media wish they would?
He's not likely to skate too far, imo.. Once he testifies and refuses to answer certain questions.. the feds will lock him up.
Quackenbush and the size of the funds he left office over were miniscule compared to the federal monies Shelley was directing the use of.
Man, just all kinds of good news breaking out.
Thanks for the ping!
Yeah, I know.
I hope I have a few tears left for PeRATa. ;-)
-good times, G.J.P.(Jr.)
CA: Parra critics say they fear 'whitewash' (ShmelleyGate)
Para-..xxx.. -Gate?
just playing....
PeRATa...Gate??
PeRATaGate///that looks decent.
If he gets locked up it would make my day. I can hardly think of a more annoying form of corruption than using federal funds to sign up illegals and dead people to vote.
Great!
Sweeeeeeeeeeeet
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.