Simon concedes Davis fund-raising allegation 'in question'; Davis calls Simon to drop out

ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, October 9, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

Republican candidate Bill Simon on Wednesday conceded that his allegation that Gov. Gray Davis illegally accepted a campaign check inside the state Capitol "is now in question," and Davis called on him to drop out of the governor's race.

Simon still defended himself for making the claim, which was based on now-discredited photographs released by a law enforcement group that is a key Simon ally and a complaint the group made to a state watchdog agency.

"I had no reason to question the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs' good faith belief in their charge against the governor," Simon said in a statement.

"They were reporting the charge directly to the government enforcement agency, and they claimed that they had documented proof of their charge," he said.

Simon made the accusation Monday after the first gubernatorial debate and said he had evidence.

The evidence turned out to be two photos COPS released Tuesday that the group claimed showed then-Lt. Gov. Davis accepting a check in his Capitol office during his first run for governor in 1998. It's a violation of state law to give or receive campaign contributions in state buildings.

Reporters and the Davis campaign determined the photos were not taken in Davis' office.

"The location where the governor received this campaign contribution is now in question," his statement said. "However, even if the specific claims made by the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs are not sustained, this outcome should not deter the Fair Political Practices Commission, other law enforcement agencies and the media from investigating Gray Davis' aggressive and shady fund-raising practices."

Davis, meanwhile, called on Simon to withdraw from the race for making the allegation.

"This whole sorry episode has backfired in Mr. Simon's face ... as a former prosecutor, he should certainly be embarrassed, and if he had any sense of honor, he would drop out of the race," the governor said on KGO-AM. "You have to check your facts in this business."

The photos show Davis standing in an office next to Al Angele, then executive director of COPS. Both men are smiling and holding a corner of a $10,000 check COPS gave Davis.

Monty Holden, current executive director of COPS, which broke bitterly with Davis to back Simon, told reporters Tuesday that Angele and Davis were in the lieutenant governor's office.

However, the office pictured in the photographs bore no resemblance to the lieutenant governor's office. Angele said he'd never set foot in Davis' office, and Davis said he was not even in Sacramento when the photos were purportedly taken.

Simon acknowledged his campaign, which has donated over $200,000 to COPS to appear on its slate mailer, had not sought to verify the authenticity of the photos.

It remained unclear Wednesday where the photos were taken. Davis said he wasn't sure but it may have been at a private office where COPS took a picture to use in their newsletter.

The episode is the latest embarrassment for Simon, a first-time candidate who lags behind Davis in polls and has suffered a series of setbacks, including a civil fraud verdict against his family investment firm that was later thrown out by a judge.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2002

Simon Statement Concerning Davis Fundraising Charges

Two days ago at the only debate Gray Davis has agreed to participate in, I asked the governor a simple yes or no question: Has he ever accepted campaign contributions in a government office building. Governor Davis failed to answer the question.

I asked Governor Davis this simple question because for the past year, we have seen a series of ethical and fundraising scandals that have plagued his administration. Gray Davis has a history of using public facilities for campaign purposes. The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has even fined him for failing to disclose his donors
adequately. And the media has repeatedly exposed that Mr. Davis' positions on matters of public policy are closely tied to the source of his campaign contributions. Nothing, however, speaks more clearly to these statements than his record itself.

During the energy crisis, Gray Davis raised campaign cash from Enron and other energy providers even though he had declared a self-imposed fundraising moratorium. More recently, a $25,000 campaign check changed hands in a dark bar in exchange for a $100 million computer software
contract that state employees did not want and did not need.

Within the past couple of weeks, we have seen the latest installment of the governor selling out the environment and endangering the lives of Californians for campaign contributions. In this scandal, Tosco gave Davis more than $50,000 so they could increase their dumping of the
cancer-causing chemical dioxin into San Francisco Bay by more than 400 percent.

As we have seen on many occasions, individuals who give Gray Davis money receive appointments to boards and commissions. And once they are in positions of power, they repay the favor by using the associations that stem from their appointments to raise money for the governor's campaign war chest. Just weeks ago, in fact, the chairman of the High Speed Rail Authority organized a fundraiser with the very contractors benefiting from a $10 billion bond signed by Gray Davis only a day before.

And let us not forget when representatives of the California Teachers Association visited Gray Davis, from within the governor's office, he solicited a $1 million contribution. Perhaps more than any other example, this speaks to the tactics Gray Davis is willing to employ for
political contributions. It's also why it did not seem far-fetched that Gray Davis would accept a $10,000 contribution from within the lieutenant governor's office.

Recently, the California Organization of Police & Sheriffs advised my campaign that they believed the governor had received, in violation of state law, a campaign contribution in his state office from their organization. They informed my campaign that they intended to report
their belief to the government agency charged with enforcing the state campaign laws - the FPPC - and subject themselves to an investigation.

I had no reason to question the California Organization of Police & Sheriffs' good faith belief in their charge against the governor: They were confessing error; they were reporting the charge directly to the government enforcement agency; and they claimed that they had documented proof of their charge.

In light of the seriousness of their allegation, during the debate I gave Gray Davis an opportunity to reject it definitively. But he did not do so.

I made the decision to urge the FPPC to investigate the circumstances of this donation only after Governor Davis issued a "non-denial denial" and a respected group of police officers and sheriffs repeated their charge
-- this time producing a photo that they said supported their claim.

The location where the governor received this campaign contribution is now in question.

However, even if the specific claims made by the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs are not sustained, this outcome should not deter the FPPC, other law enforcement agencies, and the media from investigating Gray Davis' aggressive and shady fundraising practices.

###
__________________________
BILL SIMON FOR GOVERNOR
1020 H STREET, SUITE 100
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
WWW.SIMONFORGOVERNOR.COM

I say again, FIND THAT PAINTING, the modern art work that is on the right wall behind Angele who is handing the check to Davis. Davis may have had "four" offices as Lt. Gov. But he only had ONE of this painting.
The worth of that painting might be $19.95 for canvas and paint, but its price is probably in excess of $6,000. That means it was probably insured. And the insurance documents would say WHERE IT WAS LOCATED.
Plus, ordinary PR photographs taken with the Camp Fire Girls or whomever with Davis in 1998, have to exist by the dozens. Find the painting in those, and the office of the photo is identified.
It is a telling line from the article above that "reporters and Davis supporters have determined...." There has to be one real reporter in California. There has to be one with the brains to realize the most unique thing in the picture -- besides Davis and Angele who both might lie -- is that painting. Where is Banacek when we need him?

Congressman Billybob

Click for "Oedipus and the Democrats"

Click for "Til Death Do Us Part."

Click for "to Restore Trust in America"

Gray Davis has done far worse than take bribes.

Instead of turning on fellow Republicans (and always falling into the DNC-press trap), we need to focus on fighting the enemy.

Simon doesn't need to play dirty. Davis's record condemns him.

The WSJ recently ran a CATO summary of a study on the nation's governors. Gray Davis flunked:
Gray Davis of California has recorded one of worst financial performances of any governor in any state in a very long time. In his four years in office, the California budget has mushroomed from $74 billion to $101 billion. He inherited a $10 billion budget surplus; now the state faces a two-year $24 billion deficit -- the largest ocean of red ink in the history of the states. The state payroll swelled by 25,000 employees during Davis's first three years in office, a larger increase than the next three biggest states combined. Moody's has downgraded California bond ratings twice already. It may take years for the state to dig out of this fiscal ditch. Link

Forget Enron, Davis ruined a whole state.

Here in Florida, AP-Gannett are busy ignoring Jeb Bush's accomplishments and endorsements while building up his far left Rat opponent Bill McBride.

Go after the press. Send e-mail to the spin authors, letters to the editor, and talk to friends. Rondog and the Davis Freepers make an impact.

Incidentally, in that CATO study JEB Gets An "A".

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