Bill Jones blasts Davis
Republican calls for investigation into fund raising.
By Margaret Talev and Gary Delsohn
The Sacramento Bee
(Published Thursday, September 26, 2002, 5:41 AM)
SACRAMENTO -- Secretary of State Bill Jones on Wednesday accused Gov. Davis of "blatant and aggressive abuse of public office" and asked the federal government to investigate his fund-raising for bribery and racketeering. "The governor's standard refrain is that campaign contributions do not affect his policy decisions," Jones wrote in his complaint to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, a fellow Republican. "All evidence points precisely to the contrary."
Democrats and legal experts dismissed Jones' corruption complaint, which comes six weeks before the general election with Davis continuing to lead Republican challenger Bill Simon in polls.
"A criminal investigation a month and a half before the election is a tough sell to law enforcement officials, even if it's valid," said William Portanova, a Sacramento attorney and former assistant U.S. Attorney.
Davis campaign spokesman Roger Salazar said Jones was "essentially trying to get himself back in the good graces of the Bush administration after endorsing the president's rival."
Simon got a boost from Washington on Wednesday, learning that the Republican National Committee was sending $1 million to $2 million for his fight against Davis. Jones, whose term expires at the end of the year, wanted to run against Davis this year but was crushed in a three-way Republican primary in March.
Jones' trouble in the primary was attributed in part to his decision to back Arizona Sen. John McCain for president in 2000, which cost him the support of the Bush administration.
Jones presented no new instances of alleged impropriety. Instead, he referred to newspaper articles quoting individuals seeking policy changes who said they were either pressured for contributions by the governor and his staff, or not taken seriously because they hadn't contributed enough.
The Department of Justice did not comment on the complaint.
Don Heller, a Sacramento attorney who has defended officials in corruption cases, said the timing of Jones' complaint makes it suspect.
"I don't care for Davis' fund-raising efforts. But just the fact that fund raising and contributions are made by people with matters pending doesn't in and of itself prove a criminal act."
Bill Jones blasts Davis
Sacramento Bee ^ | 9/26/02 | Margaret Talev and Gary Delsohn
Posted on 09/26/2002 7:12 AM Pacific by Tumbleweed_Connection
Secretary of State Bill Jones on Wednesday accused Gov. Davis of "blatant and aggressive abuse of public office" and asked the federal government to investigate his fund-raising for bribery and racketeering.
"The governor's standard refrain is that campaign contributions do not affect his policy decisions," Jones wrote in his complaint to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, a fellow Republican.
"All evidence points precisely to the contrary."more