Posted on 10/09/2002 12:43:30 PM PDT by RCW2001
ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, October 9, 2002
©2002 Associated Press
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/10/09/politics1507EDT0690.DTL
(10-09) 12:07 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --
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.
Simon did not back completely off his allegation.
"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."
Davis said his campaign would consider suing COPS.
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.
©2002 Associated Press
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.
You, my friend, are absolutely right. This is not hard. The photo itself supplies enough evidence to show whether or not Davis is lying.
Are the insurance records of government offices in the public record? Or perhaps a listing of major works of art on display -- date and location?
Someone needs to take the Simon campaign by the hand and lead them to the evidence. They're so busy doing damage control they've lost sight of the fact that Davis is the one who should be harmed by this, not Simon.
Scrutiny by reporters and the Davis campaign showed the photos were not taken in Davis' office.
They were taken in a private home in Santa Monica that belonged to Davis backer Bruce Karatz, chairman and CEO of KB Home, the Davis camp said Wednesday.
Karatz no longer owns the home. "He was able to identify it because there's a painting in the background that is his painting," said Larry Gotlieb, KB Home's vice president for government and public affairs.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20021009-1433-ca-governorsrace.html
Bigger question: since we don't have photographic evidence that Davis is a crook, how solid is the circumstantial evidence that he IS a crook, a thousand times over?
Has Davis been taking (a word I just invented) "frontbacks"? In a normal public crime, the official grants the contract and after the contractor gets paid, he gives the politician a kickback. Davis seems to have reversed the pattern. The contractor pays the "frontback" and later he gets the contract.
Of course, reversing the pattern, the contractor has to count on the fact that the politician is "honest." That means in places like New Jersey, "Once he's bought, he stays bought."
Congressman Billybob
Exactly. Davis won't categorically deny that he took a bribe on state property because it would be a lie.
Simon just doesn't have all the details yet, so Davis is trying to evade scrutiny by attacking Simon.
Yes, they did throw a "Hail Mary," and...the Davis team now gets the ball - for a while - deep in THEIR territory.
Yes, the pass was intercepted, but...
While we ALL would have preferred that this snafu had not happened, the focus is STILL on Gray Davis and fundraising.Gray Davis is STILL a whore - and EVERYBODY knows it.
Not to worry.We WILL (still) "Dump DAVIS!"
BUMP
I have seen you make this point before. I can only hope that those in a position to do so are looking into it.
As Simon points out in his statement, the location of this transaction is STILL in question.
Um, because the story just broke yesterday? It made the evening news here in SoCal. Guy calls the media, story makes the next news cycle.
What I find interesting is the Davis gets campaign money from this COPS organization, but Simon gives THEM campaign money? What's up with that?
Let's see. COPS handed out the photo Tuesday. The guy from KB Homes came forward today, Wednesday. Is this a long delay to you?
A set-up job?
By whom? Simon, COPS, or Davis?
With regard to the "circumstantial" evidence that Davis is a crook, there certainly have been some questionable activities. Whether questionable activities equals crook is likely to depend upon the viewer's political persuasion.
To me, Davis' defining characteristic is being risk adverse. Quite simply, throughout his entire political career he has been quite cautious, sometime to absurd degrees.
I have a hard time believing that, given Davis' characteristics, he is what you would call a crook. However, I've been surprised before, so I can't really finally answer the question.
Getting back to Simon, I think this latest faux paus simply shows that he is getting desparate. The photo is date stamped for a Saturday, for goodness sake. While it isn't impossible for a state office to open on a Saturday, it would tend to be unusual, although if you were going to break the law you might want to do it when there were fewer witnesses (but then pose for a photo?).
Simon has made mistake after mistake. If anything, this shows that Davis is politically astute, having spent his money to knock off Riordan in the GOP primary.
I don't need to go into the details....you already know them.
But, I mean, honestly........could the Simon camp have been any lazier?
It took them awhile to come up with this story.
Also I found this quote odd:
"He was able to identify it because there's a painting in the background that is his painting," said Larry Gotlieb, KB Home's vice president for government and public affairs.
He doesn't claim he recognized the hall on its own, but because of the painting. I presume the guy still has the painting, even though he no longer has the house he claims the photo was taken at?
I also would think there is a record of him having an event at his home with those in the picture attending?
This is the end of the line on this story, I'm guessing. But I do NOT think that Davis came out as the shining light of truth on this matter. And I do NOT think it is the disaster for Simon the media is saying it is (and some are willing to buy).
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.Not any more.BUMP
I have seen you make this point before. I can only hope that those in a position to do so are looking into it.
As Simon points out in his statement, the location of this transaction is STILL in question.
From http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20021009-1704-ca-governorsrace.html:
Davis says Simon should drop out because of check claimBy Erica Werner
ASSOCIATED PRESSOctober 9, 2002
LOS ANGELES – Gov. Gray Davis called on Republican opponent Bill Simon Wednesday to withdraw from the governor's race as Simon conceded his allegation that Davis illegally accepted a campaign check inside the state Capitol "is now in question."
Simon had cited as evidence photos released Tuesday by a group allied with him. The photos were actually taken in a private home in Santa Monica, the home's then-owner confirmed Wednesday.
"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 (Fair Political Practices Commission), and they claimed that they had documented proof of their charge."
"He should drop out," Davis said on KGO-AM.
"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. You have to check your facts in this business," the governor said.
Simon will not withdraw from the race, aides said.
Simon made the initial accusation Monday after the first gubernatorial debate and said he had evidence.
The evidence turned out to be the two nearly identical Jan. 31, 1998, photos COPS released Tuesday, along with a complaint COPS lodged with the Fair Political Practices Commission. COPS claimed the photos showed a former COPS official giving then-Lt. Gov. Davis a $10,000 check in his Capitol office during his first run for governor. It's a violation of state law to give or receive campaign contributions in state buildings.
Scrutiny by reporters and the Davis campaign showed the photos were not taken in Davis' office.
On Wednesday the Davis camp disclosed they were taken at a fund-raising breakfast in Santa Monica at the home of Davis backer Bruce Karatz, chairman and CEO of KB Home.
Karatz no longer owns the home. "He was able to identify it because there's a painting in the background that is his painting," said Larry Gotlieb, KB Home's vice president for government and public affairs.
It was unclear why COPS, which split angrily with Davis to back Simon, represented Karatz's den as the lieutenant governor's office in Sacramento. The group's executive director and its attorney, Thomas W. Hiltachk, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
In another blow to Simon on Wednesday, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer turned down a request from the Republican candidate for attorney general, state Sen. Dick Ackerman of Fullerton, to open an investigation into Davis' fund-raising practices. Simon had also sought the investigation, but Lockyer said in a letter to Ackerman he found no evidence that would suggest criminal behavior by Davis.
The COPS episode was the latest in a series of stumbles by Simon's campaign, from the bungled release of his tax returns to a civil fraud verdict against his investment firm that a judge later threw out. Analysts said the first-time candidate's chances of overtaking Davis in the campaign's crucial final month were dimming.
"How often have we had this conversation – can he recover from it, can he recover from it? Probably not any longer," said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican consultant.
Campaign sources said COPS had guarded the photos closely before Tuesday and it was not part of the plan for Simon to tell reporters after the debate that he had evidence of illegal Davis fund-raising.
Davis threatened legal action against COPS, and his counsel sent Hiltachk a letter warning him and the group to stop making "baseless accusations."
COPS, which claims a membership of about 5,000 officers, is known for aggressively raising funds for political candidates to appear on its slate mailer. COPS long backed Davis before endorsing Simon, who gave the group more than $200,000 and will appear on its mailer.
You might want to learn how to spell it first before you write it in.
Let's do a reality check. Who was the last "moderate" Republican to run for governor of CA and what was his fate? Extra credit if you can remember the point spread.
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