• Man Suspected of Stealing Confidential Internal Revenue Service Document Identified

    One wrongdoer in the improper seizure of a confidential document issued by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") from a home in Yolo County has been identified.

    The alleged wrongdoer, Peter Martin (aka Pete Martin), a former Computer Forensic Examiner with the Yolo County District Attorney’s office, was positively identified as the individual who improperly confiscated a confidential document issued by the IRS pertaining to a complaint Yolo County-based YR submitted against Voice of OC.

    Per YR, “On February 23, 2012, Yolo DA investigators executed a search warrant at my residence in Yolo County. The warrant authorized the Yolo DA to retrieve information relating to various named individuals. Along with a desktop computer, a laptop computer, hard drive, other computer equipment, and many other materials (particularly documents and notebooks) not authorized by the search warrant, the investigators took the liberty of confiscating a letter from the IRS to me pertaining to a complaint I filed against this so called online news agency Voice of OC.

    While Lieutenant Connor was the officer in charge during the raid as far as operations, Pete Martin was responsible for determining what documents and items to take and not to take.

    After this bizarre search and seizure was concluded, Pete Martin presented to me an invoice to sign, and allowed me to quickly inspect the materials about to be confiscated. I immediately noticed that a confidential document sent to me by the IRS was among the stacks of papers and notebooks taken.

    I asked Mr. Martin why he is taking all those documents, and he stated that any and all documents referencing or relating to the State Bar of California are being confiscated. When I pointed to him that the document issued by the IRS mentions neither the State Bar of California nor any person listed on the warrant, a defiant Mr. Martin stated that the document would be confiscated nevertheless.”

    Please continue @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/05/05/man-suspected-of-stealing-confidential-internal-revenue-service

  • The Return of a Public Pretender

    It was revealed yesterday that a former commissioner of the California Public Utility Commission ("CPUC") is allegedly dating the CPUC president’s Chief of Staff.

    Specifically, according to information disseminated by CPUC corruption buster extraordinaire Mike Knell, former commissioner Geoffrey Brown is involved in a relationship with the chief of staff to president Michel Peevey.

    Please continue @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/04/24/the-return-of-a-public-pretender-15785636

  • BREAKING NEWS: Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Rosenberg and Former Foreperson of Yolo County’s Grand Jury Barbara Sommer Face Scrutiny

    In the midst of a growing controversy over Lea and David Rosenberg, the former foreperson of Yolo County’s Grand Jury has been identified as a potential wrongdoer in a civil inquiry into the peculiar circumstances surrounding familiar faces and a familiar casino in the context of a relatively unknown Davis-based non-profit entity, Progress Ranch.

    Barbara Sommer (who currently serves as the president of Progress Ranch; President of California Grand Jurors’ Association - Yolo County Chapter) is being looked into for indications of whether she may have been the recipient of questionable gifts during a time period when she served concurrently as Treasurer of Progress Ranch and Foreperson of Yolo County’s Grand Jury in order to influence the outcome of various legal proceedings, and especially a Grand Jury investigation of Cache Creek Casino located in Yolo County.

    The rapidly expanding multi-prong civil inquiry, conducted by TLR’s confederate — Yolo County’s YR —also views Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Chairman Marshall McKay, and attorney Howard Dickstein as parties who may potentially have a played a role in the scheme, although this investigation is continuing.

    A source familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, maintains that evidence shows that for a period of several years, four or five non-profits commandeered by Lea and David Rosenberg (Soroptimist International of Davis , Davis Rebekah Lodge, Davis Odd Fellows, Davis Odd Fellows Charities, Inc., and possibly Davis Sunrise Rotary Club) devoted unusual and, indeed, exclusive attention to financially benefit “foster youth” and/or “emancipated foster youth” in Yolo County.

    For example, Lea and David Rosenberg (at times, with the assistance of Judge David Reed and CPA Victor Bucher) raised funds to support foster youth by mobilizing Davis Odd Fellows ("Breakfast with Santa"), Soroptimist International of Davis ("Texas Hold ’Em" ), Davis Rebekah Lodge ("Crab Feed"), and Davis Odd Fellows Charities, Inc. ("Orphan Scholarship Fund").

    Also being looked into are Gretchen Peralta and Allison and Robert Woolley. Both Peralta and Robert Wooley are directors of Progress Ranch. Allison Wooley sold tickets to “Texas Hold’ Em”.

    Please continue @: http://tinyurl.com/d6ytujl

  • Alliance of California Judges on Auditing AOC; District Attorney of Yolo County Jeff Reisig Informed Re Suspicious Fund-Raising Activities Involving Judicial Council’s Dave Rosenberg of Yolo Superior Court, Wife Lea Rosenberg, Yolo County Grand Jury President Barbara Sommer of Progress Ranch, Cache Creek Casino

    March 27, 2013

    Dear Members and Others,

    We attach an editorial penned by Bill Girdner of the Courthouse News. Suffice it to say, our branch leaders have gotten the attention of those in the media who report on court cases and who believe in open government. The author voices a concern that we share — some of the reporting on the “$10 pay for view” proposal has appeared to cast blame on the Governor or his Department of Finance for this assault on the First Amendment and open government. That could not be further from the truth.

    A Report to the Judicial Council dated December 14, 2012, lays out the council’s legislative priorities for 2013. On page 12 you will find language drafted by AOC staff amending the Government Code to charge the public $10 to view a “name, file, or other information for which a search is requested.” Our branch leaders standing by silently while the Governor and his Department of Finance are unfairly criticized for this gaffe hearkens back to the last time the AOC was caught attempting to gut Government Code sections concerning the management of the local trial courts. Then AOC staff affirmatively blamed the Department of Finance. Now, they seem content to allow a misleading impression to be made regarding the authorship of this misguided proposal.

    We encourage you to read this report in its entirety, as it sheds additional light on what our handpicked leaders believe is essential in this year’s legislative session. We will point out only one additional item. On pages 7 and 8, the AOC proposes to defer audits for compliance with the Public Contracting Code unless specific funding is provided to the judicial branch to offset the cost for these audits.

    As you know, the State Auditor recently released her audit findings of the first six local courts that were chosen to be audited. We learned from this audit that the AOC was up to its old tricks by providing incorrect data and excluding information required by the auditors. The six local courts were found to be substantially in compliance with the code. Ending the audits now would stop the State Auditor from auditing the “AOC and other judicial branch entities” as is required by December 15 of this year. It appears that the six local courts had the funds to pay for audits last year, but this year the central office appears to be broke and unable to afford an audit unless the General Fund provides the resources to do so. How convenient.
    The Alliance believes that auditing the AOC is not a luxury that should only occur if extra funding is secured. Rather we believe it is of utmost importance that respected State Auditor Elaine Howle undertake this audit immediately. For those on the Judicial Council who champion and repeatedly claim that a new regime has embraced “greater transparency,” this proposal to kill off an audit speaks to their definition of transparency when it comes to their own operations.

    As always, we will continue to keep you informed on matters concerning our branch.

    Directors,

    Alliance of California Judges

    ++++++

    YoloanR

    March 28, 2013

    RE: Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Rosenberg and Wife Lea Rosenberg

    District Attorney of Yolo County Jeff Reisig informed that a noticeable surge has been detected in the level of enthusiasm (i.e. fund-raising, donations) on the part of Cache Creek Casino and Rosenbergs to benefit “foster youth” and/or “emancipated foster youth” in Yolo County.”

    For example, Rosenbergs (at times, with the assistance of Judge Dave Reed, Treasurer Victor Bucher) raised funds to support foster youth by mobilizing Davis Odd Fellows (“Breakfast with Santa”), Soroptimist International of Davis (“Texas Hold ‘Em” ) and Davis Rebekah Lodge (“Crab Feed” ).

    Subsequently, those funds were forwarded directly to Progress Ranch and/or Yolo County Department of Employment and Social Services – The Homeless and Foster Youth Services of Yolo County, which in turns forward sums to Progress Ranch pursuant to contractual agreement with Yolo County totaling around $800,000 per annum.

    Likewise, Cache Creek Casino’s sudden interest in foster youth manifested itself with a $48,500 donation.

    Reisig also informed that the inquiry is in its infancy, and stem from the fact that Progress Ranch President Barbara Sommer is also the President of Yolo County Grand Jury, as well as the role of Victor Bucher as treasurer in various judicial elections.

    More to come…..

    See more @:
    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/03/23/something-is-rotten-in-yolo-county-part-2-deconstructing-shyste

  • HEAR EXPLOSIVE AUDIO: Bill Lockyer, Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack Secretly Own Indian Gaming Outfits in California - Clients of Howard Dickstein

    BELOW MODIFIED VERSION OF COMMUNICATION FROM YR TO THIRD PARTY. AUDIO MODIFIED TO PROTECT IDENTITY OF SOURCE

    AUDIO @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/03/19/explosive-audio-bill-lockyer-thomas-girardi-and-walter-lack-sec

    PART I:

    1. ETHICS COMPLAINT / IN RE GIRARDI — In 2010, the United States Federal Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit issued its final ruling in the disciplinary matter of In Re Girardi by imposing close to $500,000 in sanctions on Walter Lack of Engstrom Lispcomb & Lack and Thomas Girardi of Girardi & Keese stemming from an attempt to defraud the court and cause injury to Dole Food Company in the underlying litigation. You may have heard of Walter Lack and Thomas Girardi as they are the lawyers who were featured in the movie “Erin Brokovich” involving utility company PG&E.

    The court ruled that Walter Lack (who stipulated to Special Prosecutor Rory Little that his prolonged acts of misconduct were intentional) and Thomas Girardi intentionally and recklessly resorted to the use of known falsehoods for years. The Ninth Circuit ordered Girardi and Lack to report their misconduct to the State Bar of California.

    The State Bar of California disqualified itself from handling the matter since Howard Miller (of Girardi & Keese) served at that time as its president, and had also made the decision to hire then-chief prosecutor, James Towery.

    Mr. Towery, in turn, appointed Jerome Falk of Howard Rice (now Arnold & Porter) as outside “special prosecutor” to determine whether or not to bring charges against Girardi and Lack. (Mr. Falk is a colleague of Douglas Winthrop, and both represented PG&E in its massive bankruptcy proceedings.)

    Mr. Falk, in turn, exercised prosecutorial discretion and concluded that he did not believe Lack acted intentionally and that no charges will be brought against the two attorneys.

    Within days of Mr. Falk’s decision, I filed an ethics complaint with the State Bar of California against Jerome Falk, James Towery, Howard Miller, and Douglas Winthrop (managing partner of Howard Rice and then-elected president of the Foundation), alleging that it was improper for Mr. Towery to appoint Mr. Falk given the close personal relationship between Howard Miller and Douglas Winthrop. Specifically, Howard Miller — in his capacity as president of the State Bar — had appointed Douglas Winthrop as president of the California Bar Foundation, a foundation maintained and controlled by the State Bar. (Much later I also discovered that Jerome Falk is actually the personal attorney of Thomas Girardi, and that Howard Rice and Jerome Falk represented Walter Lack, Thomas Girardi, Engstrom Lispcomb & Lack, and Girardi & Keese in approximately 2007, and for a period of 2 years, in a malpractice action.)

    2. FOGEL V. FARMERS — In the matter of In Re Girardi, Mr. Girardi and his law firm were represented by the firm of Skadden Arps. In reviewing the file of In Re Girardi, I discovered that, beginning in 2003, Girardi & Keese and Engstrom Lispcomb & Lack were prosecuting a class action case against Farmers Insurance Company, which was represented by Skadden Arps. This was a nationwide class action with estimated damages of close to $15 billion that had originally been filed by Texas Governor Rick Perry.

    I thereafter informed the Los Angeles County Superior Court (Judge William Highberger) of this information, and filed a State Bar ethics complaint against attorneys Thomas Girardi of Girardi & Keese and Thomas Nolan and Raoul Kennedy of Skadden Arps because neither the class of plaintiffs (consisting of 14 million Americans), nor the courts (the Ninth Circuit in the matter of In Re Girardi and the Los Angeles County Superior Court in the matter of Fogel vs. Farmers) had been informed of the concurrent representation by which Skadden Arps represented Girardi & Keese (in the Ninth Circuit matter), while at the same time defending Farmers.

    Shortly after I filed this ethics complaint, Skadden Arps and Dewey Lebeuf (representing Farmers’ parent company, Zurich Financial) moved ex parte (which was unopposed) to amend the settlement agreement in the Fogel matter and the notice to the class of 14 million Americans throughout the country to include a proviso by which members of the class would be prohibited from suing anyone due to the concurrent representation described above. Nevertheless, the State Bar of California decided not to take any action on this ethics complaint.

    3. CaliforniaALL — When researching the relationship of Girardi & Keese and Howard Rice and the appointment of Douglas Winthrop as president of the California Bar Foundation by Howard Miller of Girardi & Keese, I reviewed the California Bar Foundation’s annual reports to familiarize myself with the names of the Foundation’s board of directors. I stumbled upon the fact that the Foundation ended 2008 close to $500,000 in the negative. Specifically, the Foundation reported to the IRS that REVENUE LESS EXPENSES in 2007 equaled plus +$373.842.00. However, in 2008, the Foundation reported to the IRS that REVENUE LESS EXPENSES equaled minus -$537,712.

    I discovered that the money had been transferred to a newly-created Section 501(c)(3) non-profit entity (headed by Ruthe Catolico Ashley — a friend of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakayue) known as CaliforniaALL, which obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars from utility companies PG&E, SCE, AT&T, and Verizon. In turn, CaliforniaALL funneled a large portion of the money to the UCI Foundation, where a friend and former partner of Mark Robinson (of the Judicial Council), State Bar of California Executive Director Joe Dunn, served as trustee in 2008-9 to launch a new entity known as Saturday Law Academy.

    Various factors and evidence caused me to suspect that a significant portion of the funds transferred from the California Bar Foundation ended up financing a newly-created online publication which Joe Dunn had launched with the help of Thomas Girardi and James Brosnahan of Morrison & Foerster; this online publication is known as “Voice of OC.”

    Those factors include, but are not limited to, the fact that some individuals and entities involved in the creation of CaliforniaALL and the subsequent transfer of $780,000 from the Cal Bar Foundation to CaliforniaALL were also involved in assisting Joe Dunn with the creation of “Voice of OC” to wit – Morrison & Foerster’s Susan Mac Cormac as legal counsel for CaliforniaALL; Girardi & Keese’s Howard Miller in his capacity as BOD member of Cal Bar Foundation; and BOG members who voted to endorse CaliforniaALL and consider it to have been a partner of the State Bar of California. Also relevant was that Morrison & Foerster’s James Brosnahan and Girardi & Keese’s Thomas Girardi also assisted Joe Dunn in establishing Voice of OC, the fact that Saturday Law Academy was established many years earlier, and the fact that Ruthe Ashley exited CaliforniaALL in the same month and year Joe Dunn established Voice of OC (September 2009).

    Based on my concerns, I requested that Voice of OC provide me with copies of its IRS 990 forms. Voice of OC did not comply with applicable IRS regulations in that it failed to reply to my request for copies of its 990 forms submitted to the IRS, whereupon I filed a complaint against Voice of OC and Joe Dunn with the IRS.

    Later, after thorough research, I discovered that events surrounding CaliforniaALL, OBAMA FOR AMERICA, and those responsible for the financing of OBAMA FOR AMERICA are highly related, to wit, Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich, Ron Olson, Brad Phillips (of Munger Tolles & Olson) Ambassador John Roos and Mark Parnes (of Wilson Sonsini) James Brosnahan, DOJ’s Tony West, Chris Young, Annette Carnegie (of Morrison & Foerster) Steven Churchwell (of DLA Piper in Sacramento — where CaliforniaALL resided free of charge) Kamala Harris, as well as Freada Kapor - a California Democratic Party operative who served as a director of CaliforniaALL, and that The Kapor Center generally used to fund-raise on behalf of the many foundations located there, were additionally used to contact potential voters and encourage them to vote for then candidate Barack Obama. Her husband, Mitchell Kapor, was part of a tech team working for the campaigns of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris of CaliforniaALL.

    I invite you to visit the below link for more details:

    http://la.indymedia.org/news/2012/09/255420.php

    4. UC DAVIS QUADRAPLEGIC LAW STUDENT SARA GRANDA / JUDGE MORRISON ENGALND /RACHEL GRUNBERG / LARRY YEE — Also in connection with CaliforniaALL, I advanced a judicial misconduct complaint against Judge Morrison England since State Bar of California Executive Director Judy Johnson, Judge England, his wife (Torie Flournoy-England), and State Bar of California employee Patricia Lee were all members of CaliforniaALL’s board of directors and/or advisory council. The basis for that complaint was these individuals’ failure to inform plaintiff Sara Granda — who had filed an action in federal court naming the State Bar of California as a sole defendant that was heard by Judge Morrison England — of these facts.

    Specifically, without informing plaintiff Granda of his relationship with Judy Johnson (the State Bar’s Executive Director) vis-a-vis CaliforniaALL and either obtaining a waiver from this plaintiff or independently recusing himself, Judge England summarily dismissed Ms. Granda’s complaint against the California State Bar. Fortunately for Ms. Granda, several days later then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger championed her cause and pressured the California Bar to accommodate her needs.

    I invite you to visit the below link to CaliforniaALL’s own publication which shows the relationship I described.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/48722718/9-CaliforniaALL-Newsletter-announcing-change-of-address-and-DLA-Piper-Pro-Bo

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/100876445/CalALL-Mar2009Newsletter

    In connection with the failure to disclose the relationship to plaintiff Sarah Granda, I also filed an ethics complaint with the State Bar of California against its own employees/attorneys which represented the State Bar in the litigation — Rachel Grunberg, Mark Torres Gil, and Larry Yee.

    5. JUSTICE MING CHIN / DEPARTURE FROM CAUSE — While researching CaliforniaALL, I stumbled upon a separate non-profit entity in Southern California which was also absorbing money from utility companies known as CAUSE.

    Since Justice Ming Chin was part of the entity’s board/council, I filed a complaint with the Office of Judicial Performance, and very shortly thereafter I was informed by CAUSE’s legal counsel that Justice Chin quit the entity.

    6. JEANNINE ENGLISH / HOWARD DICKSTEIN — Upon further familiarizing myself with the members of the State Bar Board of Governors, I also filed a complaint with the Board of Governors against Public Member Jeannine English — the wife of Howard Dickstein, an Indian gambling attorney. Weeks later, US Senator John McCain (Arizona) filed a complaint against Howard Dickstein for various acts of misconduct and asked that he be investigated.

    –-------------------------------------------------------------------------

    6/12/2011

    Dear President Hebert, Senator Dunn, Members of the Board of Governors, and to whom it may concern:

    While examining circumstances concerning the California Consumer Protection Foundation ("CCPF"), which was secretly controlled by State Bar Executive Director Emeritus Judy Johnson (and which will be the subject of an upcoming request for investigation), I fortuitously stumbled upon troubling facts and events relating to Board of Governors ("BOG") member Jeannine English.

    As such, and despite its anticipated futility, this correspondence is intended to advise the BOG of these events and officially request an investigation into irregularities, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, breach of fiduciary duties, and lack of disclosures by BOG member Jeannine English. Those irregularities relate to circumstances surrounding the following:

    1. Keker & Van Nest’s representation of Jeannine English’s spouse, Mr. Howard Dickstein, in an action for, among others, fraud, advanced by the Rumsey Tribe and related lack of disclosure on the part of Ms. English and Jon Streeter concerning the existence of a past business relationship.

    2. Misconduct by Howard Dickstein against the tribes, and related involvement by Jeannine English, who was also concurrently representing the tribe in her role as “Lobbyist.” Subsequently, when the tribe advanced a suit against Dickstein claiming he had taken advantage of them by defrauding the tribe of millions of dollars over more than a decade, Dickstein referred to the suit as a “pack of lies,” whereupon Keker & Van Nest was summoned to defend the action.

    3. An unusually large cy pres award of $900,000 to the AARP in a class action suit in which Girardi & Keese (specifically, Thomas Girardi and Graham Lippsmith) represented the plaintiff. Jeannine English has strong ties to the AARP and, in fact serves as the president of its California branch.

    4. Lack of disclosures on the part of Girardi & Keese’s Howard Miller and Jeannine English of the existence of the transaction. Aggravating the lack of disclosures are circumstances surrounding misconduct by Girardi & Keese and Howard Miller in the Dole Litigation, the subsequent handing of the matter by the State Bar which assigned the matter to the firm of State Bar of California Foundation president Doug Winthrop, my own involvement, and the involvement Alec Chang.

    THE RUMSEY MATTER

    The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians ("Rumsey") consists of 40 adult members who reside in Brooks, California, which is situated in Capay Valley — 50 miles northwest of Sacramento and 90 miles northeast of the Bay Area. From a fledgling bingo business to what is now a thriving establishment known as “Cache Creek Casino,” attorney Howard Dickstein, a pioneer in tribal gambling law and the spouse of Jeannine English, helped dig the tribe out of poverty.

    In and about 2007, and in addition to the services offered by Mr. Dickstein, Ms. Jeannine English and her company — Jeannine English & Associates — were also conducting business with Rumsey, by which lobbying and consulting services were purveyed by Ms. English.

    Toward the end of 2007, Rumsey — represented by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy — filed a suit in Yolo County Superior Court against Howard Dickstein and Jane Zerbi of Dickstein & Zerbi and Arlen Opper, a financial consultant, accusing them of unjustly enriching themselves with tribal money by defrauding the tribe of millions of dollars over more than a decade.

    In statements to the media, Howard Dickstein referred to the allegations in the suit as a “pack of lies,” while disparaging his client. Dickstein also stated that he plans to fight the suit and “fight hard.” Appearing on behalf of defendant Dickstein was Elliot Peters of Keker & Van Nest.

    The undersigned submits that because of the attorney-client relationship between Rumsey and Dickstein, it was questionable for Ms. English to enter into a business relationship with Rumsey and reckless for Jon Streeter and Jeannine English to conceal the past relationship from the public. If in fact a disclosure was made by any of them in a conspicuous place available for public viewing, please forward it to the undersigned in order for this portion of the complaint to be withdrawn.

    These events lead one to wonder whether, hypothetically speaking, in the upcoming election for State Bar president Jeannine English would vote for Jon Streeter and not Michael Tenanbaum or Linda Davis as consideration for the representation Keker & Van Nest provided to her spouse. At least in part, it also explains to the undersigned the zeal and desire of Ms. English to be a member of the BOG. Clearly it was not to protect and serve the public; rather, it was to protect the interests of her husband (and, by extension, herself) who was accused of defrauding the Rumsey tribe of millions of dollars. In addition, it leads one to question whether the State Bar of California was not as vigorous as it should have been in protecting Rumsey from Dickstein.

    THE AARP MATTER

    In addition to serving on the State Bar’s BOG, Jeannine English also serves as the President of the AARP’s California branch, and is also involved with the AARP on a national level. Assuming no shenanigans, financial improprieties, or self-dealing with the AARP (which by the way, also operates a for-profit insurance brokerage), Ms. English deserves great credit for her outstanding contribution to the community. However, due to the overall set of circumstances surrounding English as described above, and as it is obvious that she serves on the BOG to serve the interests of her husband (and, by extension, herself), the undersigned is far from impressed.

    Specifically, within the past few years, a plan has been devised by which a cy pres amount of $900,000 will be funneled to the AARP from a class action in which the law offices of Girardi & Keese serves as counsel. (Attridge v. Visa Case No. CGC-04-436920)

    While the sums will not go directly to Ms. English, they will indirectly benefit her vis-a-vis the associated prestige resulting from successful fund raising efforts. The lack of disclosure regarding the proposed cy pres is alarming, especially considering events relating to the State Bar’s handling of attorney misconduct in the Dole matter, my ethics complaint and request for an inquiry of 5 months ago as to James Towery, Jerome Falk, Douglas Winthrop, and Howard Miller as well as the overall circumstances surrounding the State Bar/BOG disinclination to deal with the matter. To date, only myself and, later, David Cameron Carr (a former State Bar prosecutor) have spoken about this grave injustice. Of those who had a moral, legal, and ethical obligation to disclose conflicts, and to otherwise speak, now you know why at least one more such person — namely, Jeannine English — has failed to do so.

    Thank you for time.

    –-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    7. On June 17, 2011, shortly after I filed the complaint against Jeannine English, a special meeting of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California took place to introduce amendments to proposed legislation. The proposed amendments , among others, called for a change to the conflict of interest policies. Specifically, public members should not be permitted to serve if they are involved in the legal profession or are the spouses of lawyers.

    8. After I asked the BOG to investigate Ms. English, a confidential source from Southern California informed me that Howard Dickstein and Thomas Girardi are business partners. Out of an abundance of caution, this information was forwarded on June 22, 2011 by me to the Deputy Executive Director of the State Bar of California, Robert Hawley, as follows:

    Mr. Hawley:

    This is to inform the State Bar about information I recently received
    concerning Jeannine English, Howard Dickstein, and Thomas Girardi.

    Based on what was communicated to me, Howard Dickstein and Thomas
    Girardi are involved in some sort of a joint venture; or otherwise are
    business partners in areas relating to Indian gambling.

    Please note that I do not personally vouch for the credibility of the
    source nor the accuracy of the information.

    However, based on the totality of the circumstances, it is a lead
    worth following.

    Thanks

  • William Hauck (of California State University Board of Trustees / Goddard Claussen / Golden Pacific Bank / California Forward / Blue Shield of California Foundation ) Asked to Disclose Reason / Motive California State University Board of Trustees Spent Tax-Payers Money to File an Amicus Brief in Matter of BERKELEY HILLSIDE PRESERVATION v. CITY OF BERKELEY Involving Personal Residence of Freada Klein Kapor of CaliforniaALL Financial Scheme / The Kapor Center

    See story @:

    http://lesliebrodie.wordpress.com/tag/william-hauck-aka-bill-hauck-of-california-state-university-

    California Supreme Court Docket for BERKELEY HILLSIDE PRESERVATION v. CITY OF BERKELEY [ TLR Note: 1. real parties are Mitchell Kapor and Freada Klein Kapor ( of CaliforniaALL financial scheme / The Kapor Center ) seek to build 10,000 square-foot house, adjacent 10 parking spots for fundraising volunteers , certified “Green” in Berkeley, CA — objecting neighbors commenced action 2- YR Asks – Why / What interests THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY – CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATIONS’S EDUCATION LEGAL ALLIANCE have in filing Amicus Briefs ?

    Parties and Attorneys
    BERKELEY HILLSIDE PRESERVATION v. CITY OF BERKELEY (LOGAN)
    Case Number S201116

    Party Attorney
    Berkeley Hillside Preservation : Plaintiff and Appellant

    Susan Brandt-Hawley
    Brandt-Hawley Law Group
    P.O. Box 1659
    Glen Ellen, CA

    Fadley, Susan Nunes : Plaintiff and Appellant

    Susan Brandt-Hawley
    Brandt-Hawley Law Group
    P.O. Box 1659
    Glen Ellen, CA

    City of Berkeley : Defendant and Respondent

    Laura Nicole McKinney
    Office of the City Attorney
    2180 Milvia Street, Fourth Floor
    Berkeley, CA

    City Council of the City of Berkeley : Defendant and Respondent

    Laura Nicole McKinney
    Office of the City Attorney
    2180 Milvia Street, Fourth Floor
    Berkeley, CA

    Logan, Donn : Real Party in Interest and Respondent

    Amrit Satish Kulkarni
    Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson
    555 12th Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Julia Lynch Bond
    Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson
    555 12th Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Kapor, Mitchell D. : Real Party in Interest and Respondent

    Amrit Satish Kulkarni
    Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson
    555 12th Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Julia Lynch Bond
    Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson
    555 12th Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Kapor-Klein, Freada : Defendant and Respondent

    Amrit Satish Kulkarni
    Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson
    555 Twelfth Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Julia Lynch Bond
    Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson
    555 12th Street, Suite 1500
    Oakland, CA

    Laguna Beach Architectural Guild : Pub/Depublication Requestor

    Sherman L. Stacey
    Gaines & Stacey LLP
    1111 Bayside Drive, Suite 280
    Corona Del Mar, CA

    California Building Industry Association : Pub/Depublication Requestor

    Andrew B. Sabey
    Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    California League of Cities : Pub/Depublication Requestor

    Melanie Sengupta
    Holland & Knight
    50 California Street, Suite 2800
    San Francisco, CA

    California State Association of Counties : Pub/Depublication Requestor

    Melanie Sengupta
    Holland & Knight
    50 California Street, Suite 2800
    San Francisco, CA

    California Infill Builders Association : Pub/Depublication Requestor
    Meea Kang, President
    2012 “K” Street
    Sacramento, CA 95811

    Bay Area Council : Pub/Depublication Requestor
    Matt Regan, Vice President
    201 California Street, Suite 1450
    San Francisco, CA 94111

    Save Our Carmel River : Amicus curiae

    Michael W. Stamp
    Attorney at Law
    479 Pacific Street, Suite 1
    Monterey, CA

    Molly E Erickson
    Law Offices of Michael W Stamp
    479 Pacific Street, Suite 1
    Monterey, CA

    The Open Monterey Project : Amicus curiae

    Michael W. Stamp
    Attorney at Law
    479 Pacific Street, Suite 1
    Monterey, CA

    Molly E Erickson
    Law Offices of Michael W. Stamp
    479 Pacific Street, Suite 1
    Monterey, CA

    Bernardi, Patricia : Other

    Michael W. Stamp
    Attorney at Law
    479 Pacific Street, Suite 1
    Monterey, CA

    Coastal Defender : Other

    Beverly Suzanne GrossmanPalmer
    Strumwasser & Woocher LLP
    10940 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2000
    Los Angeles, CA

    Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association : Amicus curiae

    Leila H. Moncharsh
    Veneruso & Moncharsh
    5707 Redwood Road, Suite #10
    Oakland, CA

    Attorney General Kamala D. Harris : Amicus curiae

    Catherine Mitchell Wieman
    Office of the Attorney General
    300 South Spring Street, Suite 1702
    Los Angeles, CA

    The Building Industry Association of the Bay Area : Amicus curiae

    Stephen L. Kostka
    Perkins Coie, LLP
    4 Embarcadero Center, Suite 2400
    San Francisco, CA

    Planning and Conservation League : Amicus curiae

    Jan Chatten-Brown
    Chatten-Brown & Carstens LLP
    2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 318
    Hermosa Beach, CA

    Endangered Habitat League : Amicus curiae

    Jan Chatten-Brown
    Chatten-Brown & Carstens LLP
    2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 318
    Hermosa Beach, CA

    California Preservation Foundation : Amicus curiae

    Jan Chatten-Brown
    Chatten-Brown & Carstens LLP
    2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 318
    Hermosa Beach, CA

    Save Our Heritage Organization : Amicus curiae

    Jan Chatten-Brown
    Chatten-Brown & Carstens LLP
    2200 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 318
    Hermosa Beach, CA

    The California Building Industry Association : Amicus curiae

    Michael Zischke
    Cox, Castle & Nicholson, LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Andrew B. Sabey
    Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    California Business Properties Association : Amicus curiae

    Michael Zischke
    Cox, Castle & Nicholson, LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Andrew B. Sabey
    Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation : Amicus curiae

    Michael Zischke
    Cox, Castle & Nicholson, LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Andrew B. Sabey
    Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP
    555 California Street, 10th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Pacific Legal Foundation : Amicus curiae

    Malcolm Reed Hopper
    Pacific Legal Foundation
    930 G Street
    Sacramento, CA

    California School Boards Associations’s Education Legal Alliance : Amicus curiae

    Harold M. Freiman
    Lozano Smith
    2001 North Main Street, Suite 650
    Walnut Creek, CA

    Kelly Marie Rem
    Lozano Smith
    2001 North Main Street, Suite 650
    Walnut Creek, CA

    The Regents of the University of California : Amicus curiae

    Charles Furlonge Robinson
    University of California/Office of General Counsel
    1111 Franklin Street, 8th Floor
    Oakland, CA

    Kelly L. Drumm
    Office of the General Counsel
    1111 Franklin Street, 8th Floor
    Oakland, CA

    The Board of Trustees of the California State University : Amicus curiae

    Andrea Marie Gunn
    Office of General Counsel
    401 Golden Shore, 4th Floor
    Long Beach, CA

    Christine Helwick
    Office of the General Counsel
    401 Golden Shore, 4th Floor
    Long Beach, CA

    League of California Cities : Amicus curiae

    Amanda Jean Monchamp
    Holland & Knight LLP
    50 California Street, 28th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Melanie Sengupta
    Holland & Knight
    50 California Street, 28th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    California State Association of Counties : Amicus curiae

    Amanda Jean Monchamp
    Holland & Knight LLP
    50 California Street, 28th Floor
    San Francisco, CA

    Melanie Sengupta
    Holland & Knight
    50 California Street, Suite 2800
    San Francisco, CA

    Center for Biological Diversity : Amicus curiae

    Michael Ward Graf
    Law Offices of Michael W. Graf
    227 Behrens Street
    El Cerrito, CA

    High Sierra Rural Alliance : Amicus curiae

    Michael Ward Graf
    Law Offices of Michael W. Graf
    227 Behrens Street
    El Cerrito, CA

    Association of California Water Agencies : Amicus curiae

    Christian Lucier Marsh
    Downey Brand LLP
    333 Bush Street, Suite 1400
    San Francisco, CA

    Andrea Pelton Clark
    Downey Brand LLP
    333 Bush Street, Suite 1400
    San Francisco, CA

    Graham Cole St. Michel
    Downey Brand LLP
    333 Bush Street, Suite 1400
    San Francisco, CA

  • Bruce Naliboff — Chief Investigator of Yolo County DA / Ex-Lieutenant, UC Davis Police Department — Under Greater Scrutiny For Obstructing Justice

    * The Leslie Brodie Report urges the readers to exercise caution and not jump to conclusions regarding misconduct by anyone.

    A big red flag has been reluctantly raised over Yolo County District Attorney Chief Investigator, Bruce David Naliboff.

    The rapidly expanding multi-prong civil inquiry, conducted by Yolo County’s YR, views Naliboff — an Ex-Lieutenant of UC Davis Police Department — as someone who may potentially have a played a greater role than had been perceived up to now.

    YR maintains that one aspect of the inquiry into CaliforniaALL / University of California involves 4 subparts:

    1) Circumstances surrounding events relating to UC Davis / UC Davis Foundation operatives Cruz Reynoso, Mark Friedman , Gilles Attia.

    2) Circumstances surrounding events relating to UC Irvine / UC Irvine Foundation operatives Joe Dunn of Cal Bar/ Voice of OC, Judicial Council’s Mark Robinson, Erwin Chemerinsky of Voice of OC, Michael Drake, and Karina Hamilton.

    3) Circumstances surrounding events relating UC Berkeley / UC Berkeley Foundation operatives Freada Kapor Klein and Gibor Basri.

    4) Circumstances surrounding prima-facie evidence of criminal conduct by Bruce Naliboff, Michael Cabral, and Jeff Reisig.

    In connection with Sub-Part #4, special attention is being paid to the examination of fraud on the court, obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of justice, and related irregularities.

    Per YR, Sub-Part #4 is being carefully reviewed because it involves “Public Corruption,” which poses a fundamental threat to our way of life. Such wrongdoing impacts everything from how well our community is protected to verdicts handed down in courts, as well as the quality of governmental services. This, YR maintains, can take a significant toll on the American way of life.

  • Jeff Reisig - District Attorney of Yolo County - Accused of Racketeering

    In an almost unprecedented turn of events and somewhat ironically, a local official in the State of California who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses is now accused of criminal conduct.

    Court documents filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia reveal that the highly controversial District Attorney of Yolo County Jeff Reisig is accused of violating the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

    RICO is a federal law that authorizes a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO focuses specifically on racketeering, and it allows for the leaders of a syndicate to be held civilly liable for the crimes that they ordered others to commit or which they assisted in committing.

    The lawsuit, filed as a civil-racketeering action by Marina Del Rey-based legal scholar Daniel Dydzak, alleges that Jeff Reisig and his deputies/investigators engaged in an “unlawful search and seizure” and that Mr. Reisig and State Bar of California employee Tom Layton (who according to sources is part of an ongoing “ambulance chasing” scheme the Girardi Syndicate operates in San Bernardino County vis-a-vis a satellite office located in San Bernardino and managed by Thomas Girardi’s son-in-law, David Lira) shared with third parties materials obtained during the search.

    The suit further alleges that Reisig conspired to participate in a RICO enterprise, as well as participated in the commission of two or more racketeering activities acting as “accomplice.”

  • Prominent Activist Amy Margolin of Howard Rice and PG&E Face New Scrutiny as Scandal Spreads

    A former member of the now-defunct, San Francisco-based law firm of Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin has been identified as a potential wrongdoer in a civil inquiry into the peculiar circumstances surrounding familiar faces and a familiar utility company, in the context of two relatively unknown non-profit entities — IGS and CSCHS

    Prominent LGBTQ activist and appellate law specialist Amy E. Margolin (who currently practices out of the Novato-based appellate boutique Bien & Summers) is being looked upon for indications she may have acted as a middleman and conduit for alleged financial improprieties in various legal proceedings involving Pacific Gas Electric & Company ("PG & E "), the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC"), former CPUC Commissioner Geoffrey Brown, private judge Joseph Grodin, and Howard Rice, the firm that represented PG&E.

    Those various state, federal, and CPUC proceedings involving PG&E primarily relate to proceedings stemming from California’s energy crisis, as well as the 2001 bankruptcy proceedings and subsequent 2007 litigation in which the State of California accused PG&E and its parent company of usurping and hiding assets.

    The civil inquiry, conducted by Yolo County’s YR, views Margolin — who was part of the legal team which represented PG&E — as someone who may potentially have a played a role in this misconduct, although this investigation is continuing.

    Unfortunately, Margolin’s association with Howard Rice alone creates concern. As readers may recall, Howard Rice is a firm which YR has previously managed to discredit on two occasions in matters involving a) In Re Girardi / Howard Rice’s special prosecutor Jerry Falk and b) Geoffrey Brown / Douglas Winthrop (managing director of Howard Rice), who both served as directors of the California Bar Foundation in connection with PG&E’s Ophelia Basgal of CaliforniaALL, in the context of allegations of financial improprieties.

    Hence, when examining the circumstances surrounding the California Supreme Court Historical Society ("CSCHS") and discovering the presence of PG&E; PG&E’s Ophelia Basgal of CaliforniaALL, who served as the “Treasurer” of CSCHS; Amy Margolin, and private judge Joseph Grodin, whose legal opinion Bill Lockyer and Jerry Brown relied upon in deciding to dismiss the case against PG&E, it is difficult not to question whether any misconduct has taken place in this setting given the prior history between Howard Rice and PG&E.

    Please continue@:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/02/10/prominent-activist-amy-margolin-of-howard-rice-and-pge-face-new

  • Eric George in Addendum # 11 to Suspicious Financial Machinations Surrounding University of California Regent Richard Blum — Husband of Dianne Feinstein : UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies aka “IGS” [TLR Note: 1- Eric George part of IGS; 2- California Supreme Court Historical Society ("CSCHS") headed by Ronald George, PG&E’s Ophelia Basgal of CaliforniaALL, and Kay Werdegar forward money to IGS 3- In 2007 , CSCHS transfers the unusually high amount of $ 51, 720 to IGS — which YR is in the process of analyzing — may have been used to bribe Joseph Grodin in matter involving PG&E, Jerry Brown, Bill Lockyer, Howard Rice’s Jerome Falk and Amy Margolin 5. CSCHS also transfers funds to “University of California Board of Regents” 6- Separately, according to YR, CSCHS can’t treat expenses for services as “grants” or “donations” 7- Eric George remains under scrutiny in matters involving Toyota, In Re Girardi, Ocean Liners, Winnie the Pooh, Bet Tzedek, 1st. Century Bank,
    etc...]

    Please see story :

    http://lesliebrodie.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/eric-george-in-addendum-11-to-suspicious-financial-machinati

    Eric George of Browne George Ross — son of deposed Ronald George — hereby asked disclose reason necessary to solicit money from private parties (i.e. law firms, lawyers) during time surplus funds of non-profit “California Supreme Court Historical Society” were invested at brokerage-house Smith Barney

    Please see @:

    http://lesliebrodie.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/eric-george-of-browne-george-ross-son-of-deposed-ronald-geor

  • Fraudster/Alleged Racketeer Arnold & Porter’s Jerome Falk (aka Jerry Falk; formerly of Howard Rice) Joins JAMS Amid Controversies Surrounding PG&E, Ophelia Basgal, CSCHS, In Re Girardi, Doug Winthrop

    Jerry Falk, a former named partner at now defunct Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin, abruptly quit Arnold & Porter.

    Per the Recorder:

    “Jerome Falk Jr.’s new career move has been more than a year in the making.”

    Falk began work at JAMS, concluding four decades of appellate advocacy spent predominantly at San Francisco’s Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin.

    At 72, an age when some lawyers might be looking to retire, Falk said he’s ready for his “second act” at JAMS, where he will work full time as an arbitrator and mediator for a range of commercial, intellectual property, employment, insurance and other disputes.

    Falk, who has experience as an arbitrator, was prepared to make the move a year ago, around the same time the 80-lawyer Howard Rice struck a merger deal with Arnold & Porter. He stuck around to see his partners through the transition.

    “At the end of one year, I was ready to return to Plan A,” Falk said in an interview Wednesday.

    Douglas Winthrop, then managing partner of Howard Rice, said Falk’s support helped smooth the merger with Arnold & Porter, which took effect in January 2012."

    For the complete Recorder’s story, please click HERE.

    –----------------

    IN RE GIRARDI; JERRY FALK LACK OF CREDIBILITY

    At the conclusion of the appeal in a civil case prosecuted by the firms of Girardi & Keese and Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack against Dole Food Company, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski issued an order to show cause why Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack should not be disbarred, suspended, or sanctioned for the attempt to defraud this Court for the purpose of unjustly collecting a $500 million judgment.

    Representing Thomas Girardi in those disciplinary proceedings before ther Ninth Circuit were Wayne Gretsky of Skadden Arps and ethics expert Diane Karpman.

    Oral arguments ensued, during which one of the judges on the panel stated that the “elephant” in the room is the manner in which the matter would be developed by the State Bar of California.

    Subsequently, the Court found both Girardi and Lack culpable, and imposed close to $500,000.00 in monetary sanctions, reprimanded Girardi, and suspended Lack. Some of the findings included that Lack and Girardi have resorted to employing “the persistent use of known falsehoods” and that “false representations” were made “knowingly, intentionally, and recklessly” during years of litigation.

    The State Bar of California assigned the matter to an outside special prosecutor (Jerome Falk of Howard Rice) since Howard Miller of Girardi & Keese served as President of the State Bar, and had hired the Chief Trial counsel of the State Bar at the time, Mr. James Towery.

    After conducting an interview with Walter Lack, Jerome Falk chose to not file any charges against Lack or Girardi based on his position that any false statements submitted were not “intentional.” This determination was contrary to findings made by the Ninth Circuit.

    Within days of the issuance of Mr. Falk’s decision, YR advanced an ethics complaint against James Towery, Jerome Falk, Howard Miller, and Douglas Winthrop, contending that it had been improper for Mr. Towery to select Jerome Falk (of Howard Rice) to serve as special prosecutor because, among other reasons, Howard Miller (of Girardi & Keese) had appointed Howard Rice’s managing partner (Douglas Winthrop) as president of the California Bar Foundation, a foundation owned, controlled, and maintained by the State Bar of California, as well as because of the close business relationship between Howard Rice’s Jerome Falk and Wayne Gretsky of Skadden Arps.

    Subsequently, and fortuitously, YR also discovered that Lack and Girardi were actually clients of Jerome Falk and Howard Rice. YR had inquired with Mr. Hawley of the State Bar of California whether this fact was known to the Special Master investigating the complaint. The State Bar of California remained mum.

    Subsequently, Jerome Falk wrote to YR:

    I received your November 13 email concerning my participation in the State Bar’s investigation of Walter J. Lack, Thomas V. Girardi and other attorneys. It is filled with disparaging characterizations, all of which seem to stem from your allegations that I or my firm have represented Mr. Lack and Mr. Girardi.

    Your allegations are false.

    I have never represented either person, or their firms. Neither has Douglas Winthrop. Nor has my firm ever represented Mr. Lack or Mr. Girardi.

    From 2006-2008, my firm represented several law firms, including Engstrom, Lipscomb & Lack and Girardi & Keese, in a litigation matter. The public records of that litigation show that neither Mr. Winthrop nor I had nothing to do with that representation; in fact, I was unaware of it. The public records also show that my firm represented the law firms, but did not represent Mr. Girardi or Mr. Lack. The attorney responsible for that representation had left Howard Rice and taken the files with him before I was asked to serve as Special Deputy Trial Counsel in the State Bar matter.

    You are on notice that your allegations are false. The falsity of those allegations can be determined from the public records of the litigation in question.

    Jerome B. Falk, Jr.

    Dear Mr. Falk:

    Thank you for replying to my letter of November 13th, 2011 This will serve as a reply.

    In your letter dated December 7, 2011, you attempt again to defraud and mislead in your attempt to avoid responsibility for your repugnant and deceitful actions taken in connection with your actions as a special prosecutor on behalf of the State Bar of California against two of your and your firm’s clients — Girardi & Keese and Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack (and by operation of law, Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack), as part of a scheme to exploit your authority for financial gain.

    By analogy, rather than acknowledging that you were caught with your hand in the cookie jar, you seek to bamboozle the unwary by stating that it wasn’t actually your hand in the cookie jar but, rather, only your fingers, and in any event it wasn’t a jar but, rather, a plastic container which you contend doesn’t qualify as a jar. Therefore, you devote an entire paragraph proclaiming, “Your allegations are false.” You conclude by placing me on “notice” that my allegations are “false.”

    The contents of your communication are unethical in the extreme, as well as entirely frivolous factually, legally, and by operation of law, to wit:

    You claim, “In fact, I wasn’t aware of it” (referring to the fact that you and your firm had represented Girardi & Keese and ELL). While you acknowledge your firm (Howard Rice) did represent Girardi & Keese and ELL from 2006 to 2008 , you assert that you were not aware of this representation. Simply put, your assertion is false; it is simply implausible that for two entire years you were unaware that your firm represented such celebrity/famous/notorious attorneys such as Thomas Girardi, Walter Lack, and Pierce O’Donnell.

    This is particularly true since you are a member of Howard Rice’s “attorney liability” group, which consists of between 7-9 attorneys (including your colleagues Sean SeLegue, Pamela Phillips, and Steve Mayer), and the subject matter of the litigation was a suit advanced against Girardi & Keese, ELL, and O’Donnell for legal malpractice in connection with alleged attorney misconduct in the litigation involving El Paso Natural Gas/Sempra Energy, a series of cases which received significant publicity.

    I am also hard-pressed to believe that you were unaware of the estimated $250,000 retainer Girardi & Keese and ELL paid to your firm (money which paid your and your colleagues’ salaries), and that no one ever discussed this matter with you for purposes of addressing legal strategy or legal issues in person or during meetings.

    Most importantly, in your letter to Robert Baker you acknowledge that you had interviewed Walter Lack. Again, you ask me to believe that Walter Lack did not mention the fact that Howard Rice represented him and his firm only one year prior to your meeting.

    The fact that Walter Lack did not speak up during the interview with you is just too convenient, and is further circumstantial evidence that you and he both knew of the prior representation, and chose to nevertheless further continue with the conspiracy to obstruct justice for financial gain, to the detriment of the public and the proper administration of justice.

    Please see complete story @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/01/06/fraudster-alleged-racketeer-arnold-porter-s-jerome-falk-aka-jer

  • 1st Century Bank
    AARP
    Abercrombie & Fitch
    Addington Report
    African-American Online Summit
    Alan Rothenberg
    Alec Chang
    Alex Kozinski
    Alice Oliver-Parrott
    Alicemarie H. Stotler
    Allen Blumenthal
    Allen Matkins
    Allen Matkins Leck Gamble
    American Taliban
    Andrew Breitbart
    Anita Yu Westly
    Annette Carnegie
    Anthony Kline
    Antonio Villaraigosa
    AOC
    Arent & Fox
    Arlen Opper
    Arnold Schwarzenegger
    Arrow Point
    Arthur Margolis
    Article III
    Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
    Association of Discipline Defense Counsel
    Avalon
    Barack Obama
    Barbara George
    Barbara O’Connor
    Barclay Lynn
    BC300142
    Benjamin Fogel
    Berkshire Hathaway
    Bet Tzedek
    Beth Jay
    Bettina Neuefeind
    Bill Hebert
    Boalt Hall
    BOG
    Brenda Kempster
    Bribery
    Bruce Africa
    Buchalter Nemer
    Bulgari; Eric George
    Cache Creek Casino
    CAIR
    California Bar Foundation
    California Bar Journal
    California Commission on Judicial Performance
    California Consumer Protection Foundation
    California Democratic Party
    California Emerging Technology Fund
    California Forward
    California Lawyers for Discipline Reform
    California Public Utilities Commission
    California State Assembly
    California Supreme Court
    CaliforniaALL
    Calvo & Clark
    Carlos Bustamante
    Carlos Moreno
    CARS
    Caspar Weinberger
    Catherine Purcell
    CAUSE
    CCAF
    CCPF
    Chanan Reitblat
    Chancery Club
    Charles Schwab
    Charles Siller
    Chevron
    Chief Justice
    Chief Trial Counsel
    Chris Young
    Christa & Jackson
    Christian Pantages
    CityView
    Claire Cooper
    COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL PERFORMANCE
    CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL LTD
    Connie Merriett
    Consumer Watchdog
    Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy
    Countywide Financial Services
    CPUC
    Craig Holden
    Cristobal Bonifaz
    CWS Enterprises
    Dan Morian
    Daniel Zaheer
    David Burrow
    David Cameron Carr
    David Grove
    David Lash
    David Oppenheimer
    David Pasternak
    David Washburn
    David Wenholz
    David Werdegar
    Dawn Melton
    Dawn O’Donnell
    Dean
    Dean Barbieri
    Dean Chemerinsky
    DeapWater Horizon
    Demeter Energy
    Democracy Fund Inc
    Dewey & Leboeuf
    Dian Grueneich
    Diane Curtis
    Diane Karpman
    Diane Parnes
    Diane Pritchard
    Dianne Feinstein
    Dick Costolo
    Dickstein & Zerbi
    Disneyland
    Diversity
    DLA Piper
    Dole Food Company
    Donald Miles
    Donald Steedman
    Donna Lucas
    Douglas Winthrop
    Douglas Wintrhrop
    Dunsmuir
    DWP
    Edison International
    Edith Matthai
    EducateLA
    Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker
    Elliot Peters
    Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack
    Ephraim Margolin
    Eric George
    Eric Holder
    Eric Maier
    Eric Moore
    Erika Girardi
    Erika Jayne
    Erin Baldwin
    Erwin Chemerinsky
    Esther Rodgers
    Ethics
    Facebook
    Farmers Insurance Group
    Fauxnique
    FBI
    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
    Feminazi
    FINRA
    Fishkin & Slatter
    Fogel v. Farmers
    Fogel v Farmers Group
    Freada Kapor Klein
    Fred Rowley
    Gayle Murphy
    GEM Communications
    Geoffrey Brown
    Geoffrey Hazard
    Gerald Ulemen
    Gibor Basri
    Gilles Attia
    Gilmur Murray
    Ginger Bredemeier
    Girardi & Keese
    Golden Gate University
    Golden Gate Universiy
    Goodwin Liu
    Graham LippSmith
    Grant Esposito
    Gretchen Nelson
    Guam
    Gwen Moore
    Harvard law School
    Hastings College of the Law
    Hearing Department
    Henry Weinstein
    Herbert Brown
    Herbert Sinclair Kerr
    HMS
    Holly Fujie
    Holly Harpham
    Holly Hogan
    Howard Dickstein
    Howard Miller
    Howard Rice
    IALA
    In Re Girardi
    Institute on Aging
    IRS
    Ivo Labar
    J. Tonny Serra
    Jack Dorsey
    Jacqueline Scott Corley
    James Hsu
    James Robie
    James Towery
    James Wagstaffe
    James Ware
    Jamie Harley
    Jamie Harmon
    Jan Little
    Jayne Kim
    Jeannine English
    Jeff Reisig
    Jeffrey Bleich
    Jeffrey Shohet
    Jerome Falk
    Jerome Fishkin
    Jerry Brown
    Jerry Fishkin
    Jessica Tavares
    Jill Sperber
    Jim Robie
    Jim Wagstaffe
    JoAnn Remke
    JoAnne Earls Robbins
    Joe Cotchett
    Joe Longley
    John Broderick
    John Burton
    John Edwards
    John Keker
    John Noonen
    John Oliver
    John Roos
    Joilene Wood Grove
    Jon Streeter
    Jonathan Dickstein
    Joseph Grodin
    Joseph Shalant
    Joyce Kennard
    judge
    Judge James Ware
    Judith Epstein
    Judy Johnson
    Justice
    Kamala Harris
    Karina Hamilton
    Karpman & Associates
    Kathryn Werdegar
    Keith Wetmore
    Keker & Van Nest
    Kelly Corcoran
    Ken Lammers
    KENNETH KARST
    Kerr & Wagstaffe
    Kinde Durkee
    Kreindler & Kreindler
    Kristen A. Corpion
    Lakers
    Lance Armstrong
    Lanny Breuer
    Larissa Parecki
    Larry Lessig
    Larry Sonsini
    Laura Chick
    Lawrence Jeff Dal Cerro
    Lawrence Yee
    Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company
    Lee Roy Selmon
    Lehman English Kelly & O’Keefe
    Leslie Brodie
    Leslie Hatamiya
    Level Playing Field Institute
    Lewis Brisbois
    Lindsay Slatter
    London Riot
    Lori Schechter
    Los Angeles
    Los Angeles County Jail
    Los Angeles Superior Court
    Los Angeles Times
    Louis Shoch
    Loyola School of Law
    Lucas Public Affairs
    Lucy Armendariz
    Madge Watai
    Maier Shoch
    Major Lindsey & Africa
    Malcolm Wittenberg
    Maria Oropeza
    Maria Radwick
    Mario Camara
    Marissa Dennis
    Marissa Prayongratana
    Mark Gil-Torres
    Mark Parnes
    Mark Torres-Gil
    Marsha Berzon
    Martha Escutia
    Marvin Baxter
    Matthew Melamed
    Matthew Werdegar
    Maya Harris
    McGeorge School of Law
    Meet the Press
    Meg Whitman
    Mel Gibson
    Mercedes-Benz
    Metropolitan Police
    Micha Liberty
    Michael Anello
    Michael Boli
    Michael Marcus
    Michael Nava
    Michael Peevey
    Michael Savage
    Michael Shames
    Michael von Loewenfeldt
    Mike Feuer
    Mike Gallagher
    Mike Nisperos
    Ming Chin
    Mitch Kapor
    MoFo
    Morrison C. England
    Morrison England
    Morrison & Foerster
    Munger Tolles Olson
    N. Randy Smith
    NACDL
    Nancy Fineman
    NAPABA
    Nelson Holl
    Nelson Jang Holl
    Ninth Circuit
    Noah Rosenthal
    Norberto Santana
    Obama for America
    Office of Chief Trial Counsel
    Oksana Grigorieva
    Oliver North
    O’Melveny Myers
    Operation Withern
    Orly Taitz
    Pacific Legal Foundation
    Pamela Phillips
    Partner
    Pasternak Pasternak & Patton
    Pat Fong Kushida
    Patrice McElroy
    Patricia Barry
    Patricia Lee
    Paul Anka
    Paul Donnachie
    Paul Kramer.
    Paul O’Brien
    Paul Triana
    People Ethical Treatment Animals
    Pete Arth
    Peter Arth
    Peter G. Keane
    Peter Keane
    Phil Kay
    Philip Maxwell
    Pierce O’Donnell
    Posterous
    Prerna Lal
    Proms
    Puttin’ on the Ritz
    Puzzle Pieces
    R. Scott Wiley
    Rachel Abelson
    Rachel Grunberg
    Racist
    Raj Chatterjee
    Raoul Kennedy
    Raymond Robie
    Res Ipsa Loquitur
    Review Department
    Rex Heinke
    Reza Gostar
    Richard Fine
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    Richard Salerno
    Richard Sander
    Rick Perry
    RICO
    RICO Act
    Ritz-Carlton
    Robb Scott
    Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd
    Robert Chick
    Robert Hamilton
    Robert Hawley
    Robert Scott Wiley
    Robie & Matthai
    Rod Kerr
    Ron Burkle
    Ron Olson
    Ronald George
    Ronald Gottschalk
    Ronald Stovitz
    Ronlad George
    Rory Little
    Rosemary Shahan
    Russell Weiner
    Ruthe Ashley
    Ruthe Catolico Ashley
    San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
    Sander vs. State Bar
    Sandor Samuels
    Santa Catalina Island
    Sara Granda
    Sarah Attia
    Sarah Glynn
    Sarah Redfield
    Scotland Yard
    Scott Drexel
    Sean SeLegue
    Sean Topp
    Sempra Energy
    Senator Joseph Dunn
    Sergio Garcia
    Shandy
    Sheldon Sloan
    Sholom Rubashkin
    Skadden Arps
    Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
    Sonya Molodetskaya
    Southern California Edison
    Spire Law Group
    St Andrews University
    Stanley Arouty
    Starr Babcock
    State Bar Court
    State Bar Foundation
    State Bar of California
    State Bar of Texas
    State Farm
    Stephen Larson
    Steve Cooley
    Steve Westly
    Steven Churchwell
    Sunne Wright McPeak
    Supreme Court of California
    Susan Friery
    Susan Mac Cormac
    Susan Margolis
    Susan Rutberg
    Susan Shalit
    Suspicious Minds
    Tani Cantil Sakauye
    Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye
    Ted Frank
    Terry Collingsworth
    The California Endowment
    The Elliott Building
    The Sand Dollar
    Thomas Girardi
    Thomas Nolan
    Thomas P. O’Brien
    Thunder Valley Casino
    TLR
    Tom Girardi
    Tom Layton
    Tom O’Brien
    Tony Haymet
    Tony West
    Tore Bjorn
    Torie Flournoy-England
    Tricia Weaver
    Twitter
    Two Harbors
    UC Berkeley Foundation
    UC Berkeley School of Law
    U.C. Hastings
    UCAN
    UCI
    UCI Foundation
    UCLA
    UNH
    United States Department of Justice
    University of Edinburgh
    UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
    Verizon Wireless
    Victor King
    Victor Miramontes
    Voice of OC
    Wal-Mart
    Walmart
    Walter Lack
    Wenholz Law Firm
    William Allsup
    William Fletcher
    William Highberger
    William Wells
    Willie Brown
    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
    Winnie the Pooh
    Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
    Young White Female
    ZeroDivide
    Zurich Financial Services

  • Breaking News: Amid Allegations of Bribery / Fraud “Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment” (entity misused by Ron Olson on behalf of MTO - SCE - EIX - BRK) Ceases to Exist

    As the wide network of Asian Pacific Islanders ("API") operatives allegedly involved in myriad financial schemes on behalf of utility companies and their law firms continue to grow, a new wrinkle was recently added as Information obtained by The Leslie Brodie Report points to the appearance that Pasadena-based Center for Asian-American United for Self Empowerment ("CAUSE") has ceased to exist.

    This latest development comes in the aftermath of recent revelations of the alleged bribery of California Supreme Court Associate Justice Ming Chin - a former member of CAUSE’s advisory council - by Edison International ("EIX"), Southern California Edison ("SCE"), the law firm which represents them, Munger Tolles & Olson ("MTO"); and culminating in the egregious misconduct in matters relating to CaliforniaALL’s original director and CAUSE’s treasurer, James Hsu.

    Please continue @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/01/03/breaking-news-amid-allegations-of-bribery-fraud-center-for-asia

  • Alphabetical List of Organizations / Individuals That Are of Interest to The Leslie Brodie Report — Year 2013

    For updates, please see @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2013/01/01/the-leslie-brodie-report-2013-people-of-interest-15372924

    A.

    AARP - American Association of Retired Persons;

    Peter Arth of CPUC;

    Accenture;

    Robert Adler of Southern California Edison, formerly of Munger Tolles;

    Marty Africa of Lindsey Major & Africa;

    Allen Matkins;

    Ruthe Catolico Ashley (aka Ruthe Ashley);

    Lance Astrella of Astrella & Rice;

    B.

    Starr Babcock of State Bar of California;

    Ophelia Basgal, formerly of PG&E;

    Gibor Basri of UC Berkeley Foundation/ CaliforniaALL;

    Jeremy Ben Ami of J. Street;

    Bet Tzedek Legal Services of Los Angeles;

    Jeffrey Bleich of Munger Tolles & Olson/ Obama for America;

    Richard Blum;

    Geoff Brown of CPUC;

    Frederick Brown of Gibson Dunn;

    Boyd Gaming;

    James Brosnahan of Morrison & Foerster / Obama for America;

    Ron Burkle of The Yucaipa Companies;

    John Burton of California Democratic Party;

    C.

    CaliforniaALL;

    California Forward;

    California Emerging Technology Fund;

    California Consumer Protection Foundation ("CCPF");

    California Supreme Court Historical Society;

    California Endowment;

    Annette Carnegie of Morrison & Foerster;

    CB Richard Ellis;

    Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE);

    Alec Chang of Skadden Arps;

    Raj Chatterjee of Morrison & Foerster;

    Erwin Chemerinsky of UCI School of Law;

    Ming Chin, Associate Justice of California Supreme Court;

    Steve Churchwell of DLA Piper;

    CityView:

    Richard Claussen of Goddard Claussen;

    CleanTECH;

    Joe Cotchett of Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy

    Dick Costolo of Twitter / Posterous;

    D.

    Angela Davis of US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles/ Judicial Council

    Howard Dickstein ;

    Jeannine Dickstein (aka Jeannine English);

    Jack Dorsey of Twitter/Posterous;

    DLA Piper;

    Duke Energy;

    Joe Dunn;

    Kinde Durkee;

    E.

    Edison International

    Judge Morrison England;

    Torie Flournoy-England;

    Jeannine English (aka Jeannine Dickstein);

    EPIC Church at 543 Howard;

    Martha Escutia;

    F.

    Jerome Falk of Arnold & Porter(formerly of Howard Rice);

    Timothy
    Judge Tim Fall of Yolo Couty Superior Court (image:courtesy photo)

    Judge Timothy Fall (aka Tim Fall) of Yolo County Superior Court;

    Nancy Fineman of Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy;

    James Brosnahan, Jeff Bleich, Willie Fletcher
    From left James Brosnahan, Unknown, Jeffrey Bleich, and Judge Willie Fletcher (Image: courtesy photo)

    William Fletcher : FOB — Friend of Bill Clinton;Democratic Party Operative; Judge with Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; UC Berkeley;

    For People of Color, Inc. — entity associated with MTO;

    Mark Friedman of Fulcrum Property;

    Holly Fujie;

    Fulcrum Property;

    G.

    Ronald George;

    Eric George;

    Girardi & Keese;

    Thomas Girardi;

    Golden Pacific Bank;

    Joilene Wood Grove;

    David Grove ;

    Jasmine Guillory;

    H.

    Karina Hamilton of UC Irvine;

    Robert Hamilton of Allen Matkins;

    Leslie Hatamiya;

    Kamala Harris;

    William Hauck of Goddard Claussen;

    Robert Hawley of State Bar of California;

    Tony Haymet of Scripps Institution of Oceanography ;

    James Hsu

    I.

    Institute on Aging;

    J.

    Judy Johnson;

    K.

    Raoul Kennedy of Skadden Arps;

    Freada Klein Kapor;

    Mitchell Kapor;

    Keker & Van Nest;

    John Keker of Keker & Van Nest;

    Brenda Kempster of LINK AMERICAS Foundation

    Pat Fong-Kushida

    Stewart Kwoh

    L.

    Walter Lack of Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack;

    David Lash;

    Tom Layton of State Bar of California / Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department;

    Patricia Lee

    Richard Lehman of Lehman Levi Pappas & Sadler;

    Larry Lessig;

    Level Playing Field Institute;

    David Lira;

    Little Tokyo Service Center;

    Donna Lucas of Lucas Public Affairs

    Greg Lucas

    M.

    Susan Mac Cormac of Morrison & Foerster;

    Nancy McFadden of PG&E / UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy / Jerry Brown’s

    Dennis Mangers;

    Manika Jewelry;

    Patrice McElroy;

    Nancy McFadden of PG&E;

    Sunne McPeak;

    Howard Miller of Girardi & Keese;

    Victor Miramontes of CityView / CaliforniaALL;

    Gwen Moore of GEM Communications / Shrimpscam/ State Bar of California;

    Munger Tolles & Olson;

    N.

    Bettina Neuefeind;

    Tom Nolan of Skadden Arps;

    Bill Novelli of AARP/Porter Novelli;

    O.

    Barbara O’Connor of AARP, Lucas Public Affairs;

    Pierce O’Donnell

    Ron Olson of Munger Tolles & Olson / Berkshire Hathaway / Southern California Edison

    P.

    Pacific Gas & Electric Company;

    Larissa Parecki;

    Mark Parnes of Wilson Sonsini;

    David Pasternak of Pasternak Pasternak & Patton ;

    Bradley Phillips of Munger Tolles & Olson;

    Michael Peevey of CPUC;

    Pegasus Capital;

    Roman Porter;

    Porter Novelli;

    Q.

    R.

    Sarah E. Redfiled of UNH School of Law;

    Jeff Reisig ;

    Reliant Energy;

    JoAnn Remke;

    Mark Robinson of Robinson Calcagnie Robinson/Judicial Council;

    Richard Robinson

    John Roos, formerly CEO of Wilson Sonsini;

    Alan Rothenberg of 1st. Century Bank;

    Fred Rowley of Munger Tolles;

    Dave Rosenberg of Yolo County Superior Court / Judicial Council;

    Bonnie Rubin of 1st. Century Bank / State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund Commission

    S.

    Scripps Institution of Oceanography;

    Douglas Scrivner of Accenture

    Thomas Silk;

    Larry Sonsini

    Southern California Edison;

    State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund Commission

    Station Casinos;

    Jon Streeter of Keker & Van Nest;

    Aaron Swartz;

    T.

    Mary Ann Todd of Munger Tolles & Olson / California Bar Foundation

    Richard Tom of Southern California Edison / California Bar Foundation

    U.

    UC Irvine School of Law;

    UC Irvine Foundation;

    UC Berkeley Foundation;

    UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy

    University of Phoenix;

    V.

    Venoco;

    Verizon Communications

    Voice of Orange County

    W.

    James Wagstaffe of Kerr & Wagstaffe;

    Monica Walsh of Manika Jewelry;

    David Washburn of Voice of OC;

    Madge Watai

    Henry Weissmann of Munger Tolles & Olson

    David Werdegar of Institute on Aging;

    Kathryn Werdegar, Associate-Justice of California Supreme Court;

    Matthew Werdegar of Keker & Van Nest;

    Tony West of United States Department of Justice;

    Steve Westly;

    Anita Westly

    Wilson Sonsini

    Douglas Winthrop of Arnold & Porter(formerly of Howard Rice), California Bar Foundation;

    X.

    Y.

    Christopher Young of Keker & Van Nest
    Christopher Young of Keker & Van Nest (image: courtesy)

    Christopher Young of Keker & Van Nest

    Z.

    Carry Zellerbach (aka Mary Ellen Zellerbach);

    Daniel Zingale;

    Zurich Financial Services / Zurich Insurance;

  • San Francisco-based Morrison & Foerster Identified as Suspect in Ongoing Attempts to Sabotage The Leslie Brodie Network In Matters Dealing with Exposure of Corruption In Re California Energy Crisis, Money Laundering, UC System; “No Longer Just SEO”

    The Leslie Brodie Report’s technical team is looking into possibility that elements operating out San Francisco-based Morrison & Foerster are also responsible for the actual damage sustained by various platforms.

    According to a knowledgeable source familiar with the situation, the recent attempts to compromise TLR “go far and beyond mere Search Engine Optimization.”

    The source stated the unlawful conduct “requires advanced capabilities and are indicative of a high level of technical sophistication.”

    Operating under the auspices of Diversity while hiding behind Asians and Africans, Morrison & Foerster and partner James Brosnahan were identified as potential wrongdoers in matters dealing with California Energy Crisis, Voice of OC, CaliforniaALL, as well as events surrounding various outfits maintained by the University of California.

    For further reading about Morrison & Forester and James Brosnahan, please see @:

    http://lesliebrodie.wordpress.com/category/james-brosnahan

    AND @:

    http://lesliebrodie.blog.co.uk/2012/07/26/amid-concerns-of-cover-up-by-doj-s-lanny-breuer-yr-submit-narra

  • More Hard to Ignore Unexplained and Highly Suspicious Financial Machinations Involving Robert Ross of the “The California Endowment” and CaliforniaALL’s Freada Kapor of Level Playing Institute (TLR Note – YR: Myriad Legal Proceedings “Unavoidable”)

    The California Endowment – a private health foundation created after the conversion of BlueCross of California to a for-profit company that provides grants to community based organizations throughout California is now under vast and intense scrutiny for sham grants bestowed on San Francisco-based Level Playing Field Institute (“LPFI”) headed by Freada Klein Kapor of sham non-profit entity CaliforniaALL.

    Specifically, despite the claim by “The California Endowment” (headed by proxy Robert Ross) that it only “makes grants to nonprofit organizations, tribal governments and public agencies that directly benefit the health and well-being of Californians. To apply for a grant, applicant organizations or their fiscal sponsor must generally have valid tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be classified as a public charity—not as a “private foundation” under section 509(a). (See @: http://www.calendow.org/about/overview.aspx)

    The California Endowment, nevertheless, awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to Level Playing Field Institute — an entity, allegedly, “committed to eliminating the barriers faced by underrepresented people of color in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” See WWW.LPFI.ORG

    For example, in fiscal year 2010 The California Endowmnet awarded between $50,000 – $100,000 to LPFI. See http://www.lpfi.org/sites/default/files/lpfi_2010_annual_report_-_the_proof_p

    Level Playing Field Institute (“LPFI”) founded in 2001 by Freada Klein Kapor to encourage kids to pursue careers in the fields commonly know as STEM — science, technology, engineering and math.

    Separately, as was reported earlier, The California Endowment and proxy Robert Ross are also under scrutiny in connection with hundredrs of thousands of dollars funneled to operative Donna Lucas of Lucas Public Affairs.

    As mentioned earlier, this comes at a time when CaliforniaALL former director Freada Kapor, husband Mitchell Kapor, Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich, Ambassador John Roos, United States Department of Justice’s Tony West and California Attorney General Kamala Harris are under scrutiny regarding the massive financial scheme involving the alleged laundering of funds from utility companies through the California Bar Foundation/ CaliforniaALL to OBAMA FOR AMERICA and for various other related acts of fraud and deceit, a recent discovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable expenses further calls the Kapors’ business ethics into question.

  • As public service to the community, staff members of The Leslie Report shall publish a copy of a complaint YR submitted to the IRS, below:

    August 31, 2012

    Internal Revenue Service
    Exempt Organizations Unit
    1100 Commerce St.
    Dallas, TX 75242-1198

    Re: A referral for noncompliance with tax laws against exempt organizations Edison International Foundation EIN:95-4383002; Southern California Edison Co Veba Represented Trust Ein: 95-4372790; Southern California Edison Co Veba Non Represented Trust EIN: 95-4372792

    PRELIMINARY STATEMENT:

    In lieu of using IRS Form 13909 (Tax-Exempt Organization Referral Form), please consider this communication a formal complaint (referral) against Rosemead, California-based Edison International , Southern California Edison; Edison International Foundation EIN:95-4383002; Southern California Edison Co Veba Represented Trust Ein: 95-4372790; Southern California Edison Co Veba Non Represented Trust EIN: 95-4372792.

    On August 22, 2012 Edison International (“EIX”) and Southern California Edison (“SCE” — collectively, “Edison”) were duly served with a request for production of IRS Form 990, Form 990 Schedule A, and Form 1023. (See Exhibit 1.)

    Specifically, the request stated in part: “Please consider this communication a formal request to SCE and EIX (including, but not limited to, all subsidiaries and foundations owned and maintained by SCE/EIX) to produce their IRS Form 990, Form 990 Schedule A, as well Form 1023. ”

    In a letter dated August 30, 2012 (see attachment), Edison (through their senior attorney Allan D. Johnson) informed me that they will not comply with the request. Edison wrote: “EIX and SCE are unaware of any authority that would obligate them to produce these documents to you.” Furthermore, Edison also wrote: “Neither EIX nor SCE plan to take any further action in response to your request.”

    In view of Edison’s anticipatory failure to comply, the undersigned reluctantly makes this referral.

    INTRODUCTION:

    Close to one year ago, I fortuitously stumbled upon unusually large and highly peculiar financial transactions in conjunction with what appeared to me to be clear attempts to conceal and mislead involving the California Bar Foundation, CaliforniaALL, as well as utility companies Southern California Edison, PG&E, AT&T, Sempra, and Verizon.

    In my opinion, and based on the information I’ve discovered, it appears that funds were misappropriated and/or laundered through the misuse of non-profit entities California Bar Foundation and CaliforniaALL. Although other potential explanations certainly exist, based on these individuals’ involvement in the “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” 2008 presidential campaign, one likely possibility is that funds originating from utility companies were unlawfully misdirected to that campaign by representatives of those utility companies (i.e. Edison International, Southern California Edison) who supported then Senator Barack Obama in hope he would expand the Smart-Grid and clean energy initiatives.

    INTRODUCTION OF ACTORS:

    1. AMBASSADOR JEFFREY BLEICH — Mr. Bleich served as a director with the Foundation in approximately 2007-2008, as well as president of the State Bar of California.

    In 2007, Mr. Bleich established “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” National Finance Committee and served as its Chair.

    He is a personal friend of President Obama, who served as President Obama’s personal attorney and subsequently was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Australia. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Mr. Bleich was a partner with the San Francisco office of Munger Tolles & Olson, which represents clients Edison International, Southern California Edison, and Verizon Wireless.

    Out of close to 230,000 lawyers in California, also serving as a director with the California Bar Foundation in approximately 2007-2008 was another attorney from Munger Tulles Olsen, Mr. Bradley Phillips. Presently, Ms. Mary Ann Todd (also of Munger Tolles & Olson) and Richard Tom of Southern California Edison are directors with the California Bar Foundation.

    2. DEREK ANTHONY WEST OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE — Mr. West, who goes by the name “Tony West,” presently serves as third in command within the Department of Justice below Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer.

    Around 2007-2008, Mr. Tony West also served as Chair of the “California Finance Committee” of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA.”

    Prior to joining the DOJ, Mr. West was a partner at the San Francisco office of Morrison & Foerster, the law firm which assisted with the legal aspects of creating CaliforniaALL.

    Along with attorneys Raj Chaterjee and Susan Mac Cormac, Mr. West was part of senior partner James Brosnahan’s clique. For example, it was Brosnahan, West, and Chaterjee who defended John Walker Lindh, who is more widely known as the “American Taliban.” (It should be noted that it was actually Mr. Brosnahan who initially agreed to the representation since he knows Lindh’s father — Frank Lindh — who served as in-house Chief Legal Counsel at PG&E; Mr. Lindh is presently the Chief Legal Counsel of the CPUC.)

    Mr. West is married to Maya Harris, sister of Kamala Harris, who was part of CaliforniaALL.

    3. STEVEN CHURCHWELL OF DLA PIPER — Mr. Churchwell is a partner at the Sacramento office of DLA Piper, where non-profit CaliforniaALL was housed free of charge. Churchwell served as Treasurer, draft committee of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” — also housed at the Sacramento offices of DLA Piper, adjacent to its roommate — CaliforniaALL.

    DLA Piper represents client Sempra Energy which owns San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).

    4. RON OLSON OF MUNGER TOLLES & OLSON — Mr. Olson is a partner with the Los Angeles office of Munger Tolles & Olson, which represents clients Edison International, Southern California Edison, and Verizon Wireless. In addition to representing Edison, Olson is also a board member of Edison International and Southern California Edison, as well as the board of Berkshire Hathaway, City National Corporation, The Washington Post Company, Western Asset Trusts, RAND Corporation, the Mayo Clinic, and the Council of Foreign Relations.

    As of 2008, in-house general counsel for Edison International and Southern California Edison is Mr. Robert Adler — former managing partner of Munger Tolles & Olson.

    Around 2007-2008, Ron Olson was also part of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA.”

    5. JAMES J. BROSNAHAN OF MORRISON & FOERSTER – Mr. Brosnahan is presently a senior partner at the San Francisco office of Morrison & Foerster.

    He considers himself to be the “mastermind behind the Democratic Party.” CaliforniaALL was created by Morrison & Foerster, under the supervision of Mr. Brosnahan (known as the prosecutor of Caspar Weinberger). Specifically Susan Mac Cormac and Eric Tate assisted with the legal aspects of creating the entity. Mr. Brosnahan represented utility companies during California’s energy crisis (which Joe Dunn, Martha Escutia, and Geoffrey Brown were investigating) opposite Thomas Girardi.

    Later, Dunn, Escutia, Brosnahan, and Girardi launched the online publication known as Voice of OC.

    6. CHRISTOPHER JACOB YOUNG OF KEKER & VAN NEST — Mr. Young, commonly known as “Chris Young,” is currently listed on the State Bar of California’s database as an associate with Keker & Van Nest. Around 2007-2008, Mr. Young was an associate at Morrison & Foerster.

    Around 2007-2008, Mr. Young served as “Northern California Deputy Finance Director” for “OBAMA FOR AMERICA.”

    As noted above, State Bar of California records still show that Chris Young is an employee of Keker & Van Nest. However, very recently, Keker & Van Nest ( at the direction of partners John Keker and Jon Streeter, who also worked on the 2008 campaign as a “bundler” and is presently a director with the Foundation) abruptly removed Chris Young’s name from its web-site.

    7. ANNETTE CARNEGIE — Ms. Carnegie is presently employed at the Kaiser Foundation. Around 2007-2008, she was a partner at Morrison & Foerster and served as a director of the California Bar Foundation. In 2008, the Foundation poured into CaliforniaALL the large sum of $774,247; by comparison, most other donations were around $10,000 to $20,000. As shown below, the transfer of said money appears to be imbued with fraud and secrecy, especially in connection with four utility companies (Verizon, PG&E, Edison, and AT&T).

    8. KAMALA HARRIS — In around 2007-2008, Ms. Harris served as the District Attorney in San Francisco while at the same time she was also Co-Chair of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA.” Ms. Harris was part of CaliforniaALL’s “Advisory Council.” She is the sister of Maya Harris, who is married to Tony West. Media reports provide that parliamentarian Willie Brown served as mentor to both Tony West and Kamala Harris, and was Ms. Harris’s paramour. John Keker of Keker & Van Nest (known as the prosecutor of Oliver North) is also considered to be a “mentor” of Kamala Harris. (Incidentally, State Bar of California Board of Governor member Gwen Moore — also a “mentee” of Willie Brown — was honored by CaliforniaALL at a lavish dinner in a Sacramento hotel. Parliamentarian Moore is no stranger to your agency, having been the target of a sting operation known as Shrimpscam.)

    9. OPHELIA BASGAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (“HUD”) — In around 2007-2008 , Ms. Basgal was Vice President of Civic Partnership and Community Initiatives at PG&E, where she managed the company’s $18 million charitable contributions program, and oversaw its community engagement programs and partnerships with community-based organizations. Separately, around that time she surprisingly served as “Treasurer” with the “California Supreme Court Historical Society.” In that role, she presumably had contact with many judges, including those who were handling matters dealing with PG&E, such as Justice (Ret.) Joseph Grodin who acted as the mediator in a case Attorney General Bill Lockyer advanced against PG&E, which Jerry Brown (cousin of Geoffrey Brown) later dismissed in his capacity as the new Attorney General for California.

    Ms. Basgal served as a director of CaliforniaALL.

    10. VICTOR MIRMAONTES — Mr. Victor Miramontes, a resident of San Antonio, TX and business partner of former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros in an entity known as CityView, was the chairman of CaliforniaALL.

    Mr. Miramontes has various connections to Orange County, and is otherwise familiar with its various legal circles.

    11. SARAH E. REDFIELD — Ms. Redfield is presently a professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, and served as the interim director of CaliforniaALL. Events surrounding Redfield, as shown below, also appear to be imbued with fraud and deceit, and it appears her role was to create a subterfuge to justify the existence of CaliforniaALL. Since CaliforniaALL’s main achievement was the purported creation of a “Saturday Academy of Law” at UC Irvine (“SALUCI”), Ms. Redfield pretended to have engaged in Requests for Proposals (“RFP”), as well as falsely claiming that she “launched” SALUCI. For her services as interim executive director and an alleged consultant of CaliforniaALL, Professor Redfield was paid approximately $160,000 as an “independent contractor.” She gave very little, if anything, in return for the $160,000 she was paid. In fact, she took credit for the extremely hard work of others, especially that of Rob Vacario of Santa Ana who co-founded SALUCI several years earlier.

    12. JUDY JOHNSON – Ms. Johnson is the former Executive Director of the State Bar of California. Ms. Johnson (along with Robert Hawley and Starr Babcock) is no stranger to financial schemes. For the past 8 years, she has been quietly serving as the president of an entity with a misleading name (California Consumer Protection Foundation AKA “CCPF”). This entity absorbed close to $30 million in class action cy pres awards, as well as fines and settlements imposed by the CPUC on utility companies. CCPF forwarded those funds to mostly questionable ACORN-like entities in South Los Angeles or to an entity headed by Michael Shames known as UCAN — presently under federal grand jury investigation in San Diego. It appears that Ms. Johnson used her position as executive director of the State Bar of California (which is supposed to supervise and discipline lawyers) as “clout” to obtain cy pres awards from the settlement of class actions prosecuted and defended by various law firms in courts and before the CPUC. In addition, while never prosecuted for the scheme, some have speculated that Johnson and cohorts Hawley (whom Johnson labeled the “Wizard of OZ”) and Babcock were “in” on a financial scheme perpetrated by former State Bar employee Sharon Pearl, who was lightly prosecuted by then-attorney general Jerry Brown, cousin of Geoffrey Brown.

    Ms. Johnson was part of CaliforniaALL’s Advisory Council and was responsible for maintaining secrecy over the project by misleading the public, including a quadriplegic law-student, litigant Sara Granda.

    13. RUTHE CATOLICO ASHLEY — Ms. Ashley is a former employee of McGeorge School of Law who later served as a “Diversity Officer” at Cal PERS. Ms. Ashley also served as member of the State Bar of California Board of Governors alongside Mr. Bleich, and came up with the idea to create CaliforniaALL during a meeting with Sarah Redfield and Peter Arth, Jr. (the assistant to CPUC President Michael Peevey). After CaliforniaALL came into existence, Ms. Ashley, after a simulated search, was selected to serve as CaliforniaALL’s executive director.

    14. SONIA GONZALES — Ms. Gonzales presently serves as the Foundation’s executive director as of earlier this year, after the former executive director (Ms. Leslie Hatamyia) suddenly quit. Ms. Gonzales is a close friend and confidante of Ms. Maya Harris, the wife of Mr. Tony West.

    She presently serves the same function as current Foundation directors Mary Ann Todd of Munger Tolles & Olson, Jon Streeter of Keker & Van Nest, Douglas Winthrop of Howard Rice, Richard Tom of Southern California Edison, and Raj Chatterjee of Morrison & Foerster.

    15. JOE DUNN — Mr. Dunn is the creator of online publication “Voice of OC” – Orange County’s Nonprofit Investigative News Agency. He is also a Trustee of the UCI Foundation (an entity which obtained funds from a separate charitable entity known as CaliforniaALL (FEIN Number 51-0656213). Presently, Dunn serves as Executive Director of the State Bar of California – an entity which also controls and maintains a foundation known as the California Bar Foundation. The California Bar Foundation very quietly transferred close to $780,000 to CaliforniaALL. Previously, In his role as a politician and business partner of Martha Escutia, Dunn was involved in matters relating to utility companies operating in California.

    16 . GEOFFREY BROWN – a former commissioner with the CPUC and former board member of the California Bar Foundation. While at the CPUC, Brown was the assigned commissioner in the application Edison International/ Southern California Edison — owners of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) – submitted to the CPUC for authorization: (1) to replace SONGS 2 & 3 steam generators; (2) establish ratemaking for cost recovery; and (3) address other related steam generator replacement issues.

    Messrs. Geoffrey Brown, Michael Peevey, and Peter Arth were also involved in countless proceedings involving California energy crisis. Those proceedings were mainly litigated by the law offices of Munger Tolles & Olson (representing Southern California Edison), Morrison & Foerster, Keker & Van Nest (representing PG&E), DLA Piper (representing Sempra Energy — owner of San Diego Gas & Electric). At times, said proceedings concluded in settlements worth billions of dollars.

    Previously, I asked the State Bar of California to investigate this matter. Within a few hours of sending the request, Geoffrey Brown sent me a demand to cease and desist from insisting that he had done anything wrong under threat of litigation. In essence, Brown wanted me to ignore the circumstances dealing with the fact that he was both a CPUC Commissioner and a Director with the Foundation when it quietly made the largest grant in its history to an entity that was conceived by CPUC’s Peter Arth to absorb hundreds of thousands of dollars from utility companies.

    FACTUAL BACKGROUND:

    In approximately 2007, Ruthe Catolico Ashley — an attorney from Sacramento and a member of the State Bar of California Board of Governors — was employed by Cal PERS as a “Diversity Officer.” Prior to her employment with Cal PERS, Ms. Ashley was employed as a career counsel at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. While at McGeorge, Ms. Ashley met diversity expert Sarah Redfield. At that time, Jeffrey Bleich of Munger Tolles & Olson was serving as President of the State Bar. Both Bleich and Ashley are politically active, and were supporting the 2008 campaign of Barack Obama for President. Ruthe Ashley was involved in the Asian-Americans for Obama branch in Sacramento.

    In April 2007, Ashley and Sarah Redfield were urged to meet Peter Arth, Jr. of the California Public Utilities Commission at a restaurant in San Francisco. During that meeting, the idea to create CaliforniaALL (initially named CaAAL or CaALL) was conceived. Eventually, Cal PERS, the CPUC, and the State Bar of California endorsed in principle the creation of CaliforniaALL – a Section 501(c)(3) entity that would raise funds to be used to support a more diverse workforce in California.

    At that time, both Ashley and Redfield were also part of the State Bar of California’s Council on Fairness and Access, as well as a separate project by the State Bar of California known as The Diversity Pipeline Task Force, through which both presumably amassed vast amounts of data and information on the topic of diversity pipeline projects.

    Subsequent to the meeting with Peter Arth, on June 26, 2007 State Bar BOG member Ruthe Catolico Ashley and Patricia Lee presented to the entire BOG a proposal (see http://www.scribd.com/doc/48713393/1-In-June-26-2007-Member-of-State-Bar-Board-of-Governors-Ruthe-Ashley-Presen ) urging the BOG to support the creation of California Aspire Achieve Lead Pipeline Project (CaAAL), later named CaliforniaALL.

    For reasons that are not clear to me, Jeffrey Bleich saw fit to call an urgent, emergency-like meeting of the State Bar of California Board of Governors, Committee on Operations in order to appoint Peter Arth of the CPUC as member of the State Bar of California’s Council on Fairness and Access. See: http://www.scribd.com/doc/103136304/2nd-Upload-of-Document-Peter-Arth-Assistant-of-CPUC-s-Michael-Peevey-Emergen

    Papers were filed with both state and federal agencies to allow CaliforniaALL to operate as a tax exempt entity. Victor Miramontes listed himself as Chairman of the Board, and Sarah E. Redfield served as CaliforniaALL’s interim executive director for a period of 6 months. Serving as CaliforniaALL’s legal counsel were Susan Mac Cormac and Eric Tate of Morrison & Foerster.

    Despite the fact that she served as interim executive director, and despite the fact that it was a given that Ruthe Catolico Ashley would be hired as the permanent CEO, Sarah Redfield nevertheless apparently engaged in an RFP (request for proposal) which was closed just as quickly as it started even before Ms. Ashley was hired as the permanent CEO.

    CaliforniaALL’s web site (www.calall.org) stated:

    “Saturday Law Academy RFP

    PLEASE NOTE:

    The application process for this RFP is closed. Please contact Sarah Redfield at sarah.redfield@gmail.com or (207) 752-1721.

    RFP PROPOSAL INFORMATION

    California ALL seeks proposals to implement its law career pathway starting with the 2008-09 academic year (AY).

    The following and attached document describes a program area in which California ALL has particular interest based on its initial research. An additional RFP will follow for college level prelaw work. Self generated proposal for other parts of the pipeline will also be considered, and another round of RFPs is possible. California ALL has not attached a specific dollar amount to the RFP, though cost effectiveness and the presence of a competitive match will be part of its consideration. California ALL has some funding in hand from a generous grant from Verizon for the Saturday Academy and intends to seek additional funding as needed to support programs selected. It is anticipated that funding will be provided for year one of the (3 year) proposal, with following years contingent on successful completion of the prior year(s). ”

    The California Attorney General RCT reflects that CaliforniaALL obtained its “Charity” status on March 14, 2008 (FEIN Number 510656213). The address for CaliforniaALL is listed as 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2400, Sacramento, California. This is actually the address of the law firm of DLA Piper, where CaliforniaALL resided free of charge courtesy of partner Steven Churchwell – an attorney specialized in the representation of political entities.

    CaliforniaALL’s 2008 tax-return shows an expense of around $16,000 for “occupancy.” See http://www.scribd.com/doc/48714110/6-CaliforniaALL-2008-Tax-Return

    In June 2008, after a nationwide search and aided by a pro bono head-hunting firm in its search for a permanent CEO, CaliforniaALL not surprisingly hired Ruthe Catolico Ashley as its chief executive officer. (See Press Release http://www.scribd.com/doc/48717715/5-California-ALL-Announces-Hiring-of-Ruthe-Ashley-as-CEO-on-June-4-2008 )

    As the purpose of CaliforniaALL was to transfer funds forward, it did so by awarding small grants to the UCI Foundation (FEIN Number 952540117), where State Bar of California executive director Joe Dunn serves as trustee and chair of the Audit Committee, for the purported purpose of establishing a Saturday Law Academy at UC Irvine known as SALUCI.

    Sarah Redfield’s CV, which states (falsely) that she launched SALUCI, can be found at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/48772426/10-Resume-CV-of-University-of-New-Hampshire-School-of-Law-Professor-Sarah-E-

    In September 2009, Ruthe Catolico Ashley exited CaliforniaALL (http://www.scribd.com/doc/48713268/7-Ruthe-Ashley-Announces-Departure-from-CaliforniaALL-in-September-of-2009 ), the entity which she previously proclaimed to Diane Curtis that it “will change the face of the future in the workplace and of our leaders,” “will be a model for other states,” and “is here to stay for the foreseeable future.”

    Ultimately, the following events prompted me to ask Voice of OC to make its tax returns available for my review, as required by IRS regulations: the sham RFP by Sarah Redfield, who pre-selected the UCI Foundation as the only recipient of funds from CaliforniaALL; Joe Dunn served as chair of the UCI Foundation audit committee; in September 2009 Ruthe Ashley abruptly exited CaliforniaALL; in September 2009 Joe Dunn (together with his business partner Martha Escutia, James Brosnahan — who created CaliforniaALL, and Thomas Girardi of In Re Girardi, Erin Brokovich, and the one who James Towery appointed his personal attorney (Jerome Falk of Howard Rice) to act as special prosecutor against him) launched an online “news agency” known as Voice of OC. I also suspected that James Brosnahan of Morrison & Foerster (who represented various utility companies during California’s energy crisis) may have engaged in a scheme with Joe Dunn, as Dunn was the person investigating those utility companies and California’s energy crisis. In fact, Dunn was discredited by the media for claiming that he was the one who “cracked” Enron.

    Voice of OC ignored my request for its tax records, whereupon I filed a complaint with the IRS. To date, I have not received a response from the IRS indicating that it has taken any steps to help me obtain those much needed records and impose the appropriate sanctions against Voice of OC.

    Nevertheless, I continued with the inquiry as large pieces of the puzzle were missing. Later, when Mr. Tony West was appointed third in command at the DOJ, I learned of his identity due to wide media coverage and his association with Morrison & Forester and James Brosnahan. From there, it became harder to ignore the common denominator of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA” involving James Brosnahan, Tony West, Chris Young, Annette Carnegie, and Susan Mac Cormac (of Morrison & Foerster) Geoffrey Bleich, Ron Olson (of Munger Tolles & Olson) Steven Churchwell ( of DLA Piper) in conjunction with Kamala Harris — which is that money originating from utility companies was misappropriated or laundered through the California Bar Foundation / CaliforniaALL to the campaign of “OBAMA FOR AMERICA.”

    Other then collecting close to $2 million directly from utility companies (including the “hush-hush” transfer of $774,247, comprised of one installment of $5000 and another contribution of $769,247 from the Foundation which was never mentioned in the Foundation’s “newsroom” or by any other of its publications such as the California Bar Journal or by any of the newsletters and alerts published by CaliforniaALL), CaliforniaALL appears to have been be a sham, phantom entity from its inception in 2008 to the day it began to slowly be dissolved in approximately 2009, subsequent to the election of Barack Obama as president of the U.S. Its only alleged achievement was providing some money for the creation of the Saturday Academy of Law at UC Irvine (“SALUCI”) in approximately 2008-2009. Here too vast and intense suspicious circumstances exist as the funds from CaliforniaALL actually went to the UC Irvine Foundation, where the present executive director of the State Bar of California (Senator Joe Dunn) serves as a member of the audit committee, and it turns out that the SALUCI was actually already created in 2005 and was fully operational before CaliforniaALL arrived on the scene. In addition, some records seem to indicate that Verizon Wireless funneled the money directly to SALUCI , while CaliforniaALL took the credit.

    Specifically, the Foundation reported to the IRS that REVENUE LESS EXPENSES in 2007 equaled plus +$373.842.00. However, in 2008, the Foundation reported to the IRS that REVENUE LESS EXPENSES equaled minus -$537,712. In its 2008 Annual Report (See page 9 : http://www.scribd.com/doc/48712884/3-2008-Annual-Report-of-Foundation-of-the-State-Bar-of-California-Foundation ), the Foundation alludes to CaliforniaALL by stating:

    “In 2007-2008, the Foundation supported the launching of CaliforniaALL and, as the project filed for incorporation and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, served as CaliforniaALL’s fiscal sponsor. A collaboration between the California Public Employment Retirement System, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Department of Insurance, and the State Bar of California, CaliforniaALL was created in an effort to close the achievement gap among California students from preschool to the profession and, specifically, to bolster the pipeline of young people of diverse backgrounds headed for careers in law, financial services, and technology. Once CaliforniaALL obtained its tax-exempt status and was able to function as a fully independent nonprofit organization, the foundation granted the balance of funds raised for the project – totaling $769,247 – to the new entity.”

    Also cleverly buried in the California Bar Foundation’s 2008 annual report was the following sentence :

    “We thank the following corporations for their gifts in support of CaliforniaALL:

    AT & T

    Edison International

    PG & E Corporation Foundation

    Verizon”

    See page 24 : http://www.scribd.com/doc/48712884/3-2008-Annual-Report-of-Foundation-of-the-State-Bar-of-California-Foundation

    While I was able to ascertain from California Bar Foundation’s tax records an “exit” of the $774,247 in 2008 (the apparent source of which was allegedly the above-referenced 4 utility companies), I was unable to ascertain when and where the Foundation reported to the IRS — either in 2008 or 2007 or 2006 or 2005 — an “entry” of those funds which it allegedly held in trust for CaliforniaALL.

    (Later, Jill Sperber of the State Bar of California, in a letter she sent to me dated July 28, 2011 claimed that “….No State Bar or California Bar Foundation funds were used for CaliforniaALL creation…The California Bar Foundation served as CaliforniaALL’s escrow holder only to hold fundraising funds before its formal incorporation… Once CaliforniaALL was formed as a non-profit entity, the funds were paid over to it…”

    Most troubling, however, is the fact that Verizon did not report to the IRS either in 2007 or 2008 that it had contributed any money to the California Bar Foundation or CaliforniaALL. See :

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/102325087/Verizon-Foundation-IRS-990-Year-2007
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/102325330/Verizon-Foundation-IRS-990-Year-2008

    As such, several days ago, on August 22, 2012, in search of the truth, Edison was duly served with a request for production of IRS Form 990, Form 990 Schedule A, and Form 1023. On August 30, 2012 Edison stated that it does not plan to comply with the request.

    In view of the above, I urge you to investigate this matter to determine whether Edison’s refusal violated IRS rules and regulations. I ask that you impose appropriate sanctions against any and all involved, if supported by the results of your investigation.

    I look forward to your response. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need additional information.

  • BREAKING NEWS... DEVELOPING ... Inquiry Into Barbara O’Connor Widens ... LINK AMERICAS Foundation....Brenda Kempster.... 2009 Inauguration of Barack Obama ?

    *The Leslie Brodie Report urges the readers to exercise caution and not jump to conclusions regarding misconduct by anyone.

    According to sources seeking anonymity, the multi-prong inquiry into AARP, Porter Novelli, Barbara O’Connor, Donna Lucas, and Lucas Public Affairs is rapidly expanding and encompasses broader inquiries than had been acknowledged up to now on The Leslie Brodie Report.

    One aspect of the inquiry involves 3 subparts:

    1) Circumstances surrounding myriad fraudulent activities by the AARP, AARP Foundation, Barbara O’Connor, Donna Lucas, and Lucas Public Affairs.

    Specifically, the lack of disclosures on AARP’s website that AARP Director Barbara O’Connor is part and parcel of Lucas Public Affairs — an ipso facto extension of Porter Novelli and Bill Novelli; as well as other false and misleading information.

    2) Circumstances surrounding Barbara O’Connor and Sunne McPeak in connection with non-profit entity known as California Emerging Technology Fund ("CETF")

    3) Circumstances surrounding Barbara O’Connor and Brenda Kempster in connection with non-profit entity known as LINK AMERICAS Foundation.

    In connection with Sub-Part #3, special attention is being paid to the examination of an expense totaling $167,145.00 in year 2009.

    Specifically, LINK AMERICAS and Directors Dave Leveille, Elva Lima Of Verizon Communication, Richard Methia, Cheryl Meils, David Saedi, Barbara O’Connor, Dan Throgmorton, and Brenda Kempster represented to the IRS that an expense of $167,145.00 was utilized for “Venue Fee and Gala Expense” and that “The 2009 Link Technology Serving Humanity Global Literacy Gala was held in Washington, DC to promote the advancement of Information and communication technology literacy in the areas of Life, Information, Nature, and Knowledge (Link) throughout The Americas.”

    LINK AMERICAS and Directors Dave Leveille, Elva Lima Of Verizon Communication, Richard Methia, Cheryl Meils, David Saedi, Barbara O’Connor, Dan Throgmorton, and Brenda Kempster also represented to the IRS that an expense of $2350 was utilized “in conjunction with groups of volunteers from Costa Rica, Europe, and the US- to help build schools, develop literacy programs, and provide reading glasses to children and adults in communities in Central America.”

    For LINK AMERICAS 990 IRS returns, please see @:

    http://990finder.foundationcenter.org/990results.aspx?990_type=&fn=Link+A...

  • Meet William Hauck (of Golden Pacific Bank / Blue Shield of California / California State University / California Forward / Goddard Claussen )

    Golden Pacific Bank Profile of Director William Hauck:

    “William Hauck is the Senior Advisor at Goddard Claussen/West. Based in the firms Sacramento office, he provides strategic counsel to its clients. He recently retired as President and CEO of the California Business Roundtable. In that capacity, Mr. Hauck is responsible for all operations of the organization. The Roundtable was created to provide policy leadership at the state level regarding the maintenance of a sound economy and business climate in California and is composed of the chief executive and senior operating officers of major corporations doing business in the state.

    Bill Hauck most recently served as President and CEO of the California Business Roundtable. Hauck led the organization from 1996 to 2011. Prior to that, he held a number of executive positions in state government including Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Pete Wilson, Chief of Staff to two Assembly Speakers and Director of the Assembly Office of Research. Mr. Hauck also chaired the state’s Constitution Revision Commission (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson) and served as Co-Chair of the California Performance Review Commission (appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger).

    Mr. Hauck currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the California State University system where he chairs the board of directors’ finance committee. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Hauck also serves on the board of directors of Blue Shield of California, where he chairs the nomination and governance committee, and serves on the finance and investment and compensation committees.”

    Source: http://www.yourbankingsolution.com/about-us/management.html

    TLR Notes:

    1. In addition to Mr. Hauck, also serving as directors at Golden Pacific Bank are CaliforniaALL’s Pat Fong Kushida, Richard Claussen, and Donna Lucas — who may have abruptly quit recently)

    2. Golden Pacific Banks does not mention Hauck’s involvement with California Forward.

    3. Ally of MTO’s Jeffrey Bleich vis a vis California State University.

    –--------------------------------------------------------

    CSU Profile:
    William Hauck

    Chair (1998-2000), Board of Trustees
    Vice Chair (1996-98), Board of Trustees
    Member, Board of Trustees (1993-2017)
    The California State University

    Mr. Hauck joined Goddard Claussen/West as Senior Advisor in late 2011. Prior to joining GC/West, Hauck served as President and CEO of the California Business Roundtable and was responsible for all operations of the organization. The Roundtable is headquartered in Sacramento and is composed of the Chief Executive and Senior Operating Officers of major corporations doing business in the state. The organization’s mission is to provide policy leadership at the state level regarding the maintenance of a sound economy and business climate in California. He served in this capacity from 1996 to 2011.

    Prior to joining the Roundtable Hauck was Executive Vice-President and major shareholder of Information for Public Affairs Inc., a Sacramento based national information services company now owned by Lexis/Nexis. Hauck also has held a number of executive positions in state government including Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief of Staff to two Assembly Speakers and Director of the Assembly Office of Research. Hauck also chaired the state’s Constitution Revision Commission (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson) and as Co-Chair of the California Performance Review Commission (appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger).

    Mr. Hauck serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Shield of California. He is currently Chair of the Nomination and Corporate Government Committee and also serves on the Compensation Committee.

    Additionally, Hauck is a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Shield of California Foundation and chairs the Audit Committee.

    Mr. Hauck received a B.A. in social science from San José State University (1963).
    Source: http://www.calstate.edu/BOT/bios/hauck.shtml

    –-----------------------------------------------------

    California Forward Profile:

    Bill Hauck is a senior advisor at Goddard Claussen/West and the former president of the California Business Roundtable, a statewide nonpartisan organization which brings the leadership of California’s top chief executive officers to public policy issues affecting the state’s business climate, economic growth and quality of life.

    Mr. Hauck also is a founder, major shareholder and a member of the board of directors of Information for Public Affairs Inc., also known as State Net. State Net maintains a database of legislation introduced in 50 states and Congress.

    Mr. Hauck previously served as deputy chief of staff for Governor Pete Wilson and was chairman of the California Constitution Revision Commission. Earlier in his career, he served as chief of staff to Assembly Speakers Bob Moretti and Willie L. Brown, Jr. Additionally, Mr. Hauck was a consultant to the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization, director of the Assembly Office of Research, and assistant city manager of Palo Alto.

    Mr. Hauck serves as a member of the board of trustees of the California State University system, which he chaired for two years, and serves as chairman of the board’s finance committee. He also serves on the board of directors of Blue Shield of California and on the board of the Blue Shield of California Foundation. Mr. Hauck also served on the board of the California Journal, a monthly nonpartisan analysis of government and politics in California.

    Source:

    http://www.cafwd.org/pages/william-hauck

    TLR Note:

    Also directors are Donna Lucas, CETF’s Sunne McPeak, CCPF’s Stweart Kwoh,

    –--------------------------------------------------------

    Blue Shield of California Foundation Profile:

    Bill Hauck is Senior Advisor to Goddard/Claussen West, a Sacramento-based highly-regarded public affairs and ballot measure campaign firm.

    Mr. Hauck recently stepped down as President of the California Business Roundtable, a statewide, non-partisan organization composed of senior operating officers of California’s leading corporations. He had held the position since November 1996.

    Mr. Hauck’s Sacramento-based career has included stints in business and state government. Until its November 2010 sale to Lexis/Nexis, he was a major shareholder and member of the Board of Directors of State Net, a national information services company providing data on legislation introduced in 50 states and Congress.

    Mr. Hauck also has served as Chairman of the California Constitution Revision Commission and Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Pete Wilson. Earlier in his career he served as Chief of Staff to Assembly Speakers Bob Moretti and Willie Brown Jr. More recently, Mr. Hauck served as Co-Chair of Governor Schwarzenegger’s California Performance Review Commission.

    Mr. Hauck serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the California State University system. He chaired the Board from 1998 to 2000. Originally appointed by Governor Wilson, he was reappointed by Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and is now serving a third eight-year term. He currently is Chairman of the Board’s Finance Committee.

    In addition, Mr. Hauck serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Shield of California and the Board of Trustees of Blue Shield of California Foundation. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of Golden Pacific Bancorp and California Forward.

    Mr. Hauck is a graduate of San Jose State University and participated in the CORO Foundation Internship in Public Affairs.

    Source: http://www.blueshieldcafoundation.org/about/board/william-hauck

  • URGENT- BREAKING NEWS: CleanTECH San Diego Removes Name of Deposed UC Scripps’s Tony Haymet From Website Amid Exposure on The Leslie Brodie Report; Red Flags Over Latham & Watkins, Lucas, Africa, Brosnahan;YR:Remain Calm - I’m on the Case

    DEVELOPING STORY......

    Following on the heels of exposure on The Leslie Brodie Report, San Diego-based CleanTECH quicly moved to redact the name of deposed Tony Haymet from its web-site.

    Yesterday, The Leslie Brodie Report published a profile of CleanTECH, including the names of Leadership / Board of Directors See@:

    http://lesliebrodie.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/profile-of-cleantech-non-profit-launched-by-deposed-ucs-scri

    MISSION

    Our mission is to stimulate innovation and advance the adoption of clean technologies and sustainable industry practices for the economic, environmental and social benefit of the greater San Diego region. We accomplish this through a series of programs including education and outreach, policy advocacy and leadership opportunities. Our membership includes business and financial leaders, academic and research institutes, and government and non-profit organizations.

    Leadership

    Tony Haymet, Interim Chairman & Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
    Kelley Gale, Vice Chairman & Partner, Latham & Watkins
    Julian Parra, Vice Chairman & Senior Vice President, Bank of America

    However, as of today, the name of Haymet is nowhere to be found.
    Leadership

    Jim Waring, Executive Chairman
    Kelley Gale, Vice Chairman & Partner, Latham & Watkins
    Julian Parra, Vice Chairman & Senior Vice President, Bank of America
    Clark Crawford, Vice Chaiman & VP Sales & Business Development USA, Soitec

    Energy

    Jim Avery, San Diego Gas & Electric
    Bryan Bjorndal, Assure Controls
    Michael Kempa, Honeywell International
    Joe Mahler, Synthetic Genomics
    Bill Sahnd, GE
    Daniel Sullivan, Sullivan Solar Power
    Jared Quient, AMSOLAR

    Business & Financial

    Julia Brown, Forestview Advisors
    Mike Elconin, Tech Coast Angels
    Peter Fisher, LightSource Renewables, LLC
    Josh Lampl, EcoElectron Ventures
    Glenn Mosier, UBS Financial Services

    Professional Services

    Lee Barken, Haskell & White, LLP
    Ed Bryant, KPMG
    Ben Haddad, California Strategies
    Patrick Hanson, Barney & Barney
    John Lormon, Procopio
    Darren Morgan, Cushman & Wakefield
    Doug Regnier, Ernst & Young
    Steven Rowles, Morrison & Foerster
    Seth Stein, Green Talent Staffing

    Non-governmental Organizations

    Ruben Barrales, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
    Timothy Kelley, Imperial Valley EDC
    Joe Panetta, BIOCOM
    Duane Roth, CONNECT
    Lisa Easterly, San Diego Regional EDC
    Bill Walton, Sports & Entertainment Innovation

    Academic

    Scott Anders, University of San Diego
    Sandra Brown, UC San Diego
    Alan Sweedler, San Diego State University
    Stephen Welter, San Diego State University

    Government

    Eric Engelman, Office of Mayor Sanders, City of San Diego
    Gabe Gutierrez, Office of Ron Roberts, County of San Diego
    Jim Madaffer, City of San Diego
    Scott Peters, Port of San Diego
    Craig Ruiz, City of Chula Vista
    Rear Admiral Dixon Smith, Commander, Navy Region Southwest

    See @: http://www.cleantechsandiego.org/board-of-directors.html

    Current List of Regents of the University of California(Note: According to YR Circumstances Surrounding UCI Foundation-Joe Dunn;UC Berkeley Foundation-Freada Kapor;Scripps-Tony Haymet-CleanTECH; If Money is Laundered is with Consent of Regents)

    Appointed Regents:

    Richard C. Blum
    Appointed March 12, 2002 to a term expiring March 1, 2014 (by Davis); B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.B.A, University of California, Berkeley; Chairman of Blum Capital Partners, L.P.; Co-Chairman of Newbridge Capital, LLC.

    William De La Peña, M.D.
    Appointed August 18, 2006 to a term expiring March 1, 2018 (by Schwarzenegger); Ophthalmologist and medical director of the De La Pena Eye Clinic; B.S., American School Foundation; M.D., Autonomous University of Guadalajara.

    Russell Gould
    Appointed September 13, 2005 to a term expiring March 1, 2017 (by Schwarzenegger); B.A., University of California, Berkeley.

    Eddie Island
    Appointed June 6, 2005 to a term expiring March 1, 2017 (by Schwarzenegger); retired attorney and executive; J.D., Harvard Law School.

    George Kieffer
    Appointed May 6, 2009 (by Schwarzenegger) to term expiring March 1, 2021; Partner and member of the Executive Committee of the national law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Santa Barbara; J.D. degree from UCLA.

    Sherry L. Lansing
    Appointed March 11, 1999 to a term expiring March 1, 2010 (by Davis);re-appointed in 2010 (by Schwarzenegger) to a term expiring March 1, 2022. Founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation and former Chair and CEO of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group; B.S., Northwestern University. Ms. Lansing is the current Chairman of the Board.

    Monica Lozano
    Appointed September 21, 2001 to term expiring March 1, 2013 (by Davis); Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of La Opinión Newspaper

    Hadi Makarechian
    Appointed October 24, 2008 to term expiring March 1, 2020 (by Schwarzenegger); B.S. (Civil Engineering), B.A. (Economics), State University of New York; Chairman of Makar Properties Board of Directors and Banning Lewis Ranch Management Company Board of Directors.

    Norman J. Pattiz
    Appointed September 21, 2001 to a term expiring March 1, 2004 (by Davis); appointed September 4, 2003 to a term expiring March 1, 2014 (by Davis); Founder and Chairman of the Board of Westwood One.

    Bonnie Reiss
    Appointed March 27, 2008 to a term expiring March 1, 2020 (by Schwarzenegger); Operating Advisor to Pegasus Capital Advisors; BBA, University of Miami; J.D., Antioch Law School.

    Fred Ruiz
    Appointed July 2, 2004 to a term expiring March 1, 2016 (by Schwarzenegger); Co-founder and Chairman, Ruiz Foods.

    Leslie Tang Schilling
    Appointed September 13, 2005 to a term expiring March 1, 2013 (by Schwarzenegger); B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.A, American Graduate School of International Management; Director of Union Square Investments, Inc.

    Jonathan Stein
    Student Regent, July 13, 2012- June 30, 2013; B.A., Harvard University (English); UC Berkeley student at Berkeley Law School and Goldman School of Public Policy.

    Bruce D. Varner
    Appointed August 18, 2006 to a term expiring March 1, 2018 (by Schwarzenegger); Partner in the law firm Varner & Brandt; B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara; J.D., Hastings Law School. Mr. Varner is the current Vice Chair of the Board.

    Paul Wachter
    Appointed July 2, 2004 (by Schwarzenegger) to a term expiring March 1, 2016; Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; J.D., Columbia School of Law;Founder, President and CEO, Main Street Advisors.

    Charlene Zettel
    Appointed May 6, 2009 to term expiring March 1, 2021 (by Schwarzenegger); Board member, San Diego Regional Airport Authority; B.S., University of Southern California.

    Ex Officio Regents

    Jerry Brown
    Governor of California and ex-officio Regent, January 3, 2011 – present.

    Gavin Newsom
    Lieutenant Governor and ex officio Regent, effective January 10, 2011 – present.

    John A. Pérez
    Speaker of the Assembly and ex officio Regent, effective March 1, 2010 – present; Assemblymember from the 46th district.

    Tom Torlakson
    State Superintendent of Public Instruction and ex officio Regent, January 3, 2011 – present.

    Mark G. Yudof
    President of the University and ex officio Regent, effective June 16, 2008; B.A., University of Pennsylvania; LL.B, Law School, University of Pennsylvania.

    Alan Mendelson
    Alumni Regent from July 1, 2012- June 30, 2013 and Vice President of the Alumni Associations of the University of Calfornia; B.A., University of California, Berkeley; J.D., Harvard University.

    Ronald Rubenstein
    Alumni Regent from July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013, and President of the Alumni Associations of the University of California; B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara (Economics); J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

    Regents-Designate

    Ken Feingold
    Regent-designate, July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013, and Secretary, Alumni Associations of the University of California; B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz (History); J.D., University of San Francisco.

    Van Schultz
    Regent-designate, July 1, 2012- June 30, 2013 and Treasurer, Alumni Associations of the University of Calfornia; B.S., University of California, Los Angeles; M.S., University of California, Los Angeles.

    Cinthia Flores
    Student Regent-designate, July 1, 2012- June 30, 2013; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles.

    Faculty Representatives to The Regents

    Robert Powell
    Faculty Representative to The Regents, September 1, 2011 – August 31, 2013, and current Chair of the Universitywide Academic Senate of the University of California.

    William Jacob
    Faculty Representative to The Regents, September 1, 2012 – August 31, 2014, and current Vice Chair of the Universitywide Academic Senate of the University of California.

    Staff Advisors to The Regents

    Kathy Barton
    Staff Advisor Designate, July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.

    Kevin Smith
    Staff Advisor, July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.

    Source: http://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regbios

  • The Leslie Brodie Report Launched Journalistic Inquiry Into Events Surrounding Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Tony Haymet, CleanTECH, Donna Lucas, Marty Africa

    Amid conflicting reports and unanswered questions, The Leslie Brodie Report has launched a journalistic inquiry into events surrounding San Diego-based Scripps Institution of Oceanography ("SIO"), and directors Tony Haymet, Donna Lucas, and Marty Africa.

    Haymet, 56, is “the tenth director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Haymet also serves as UC San Diego’s vice chancellor for marine sciences and dean of the Graduate School of Marine Sciences, and is a professor of oceanography at Scripps. He joined Scripps in 2006,” according to SIO. (Image: courtesy)

    According to incomplete and misleading infomation issued by the University of California “Scripps Director Tony Haymet is taking a sabbatical and will continue his research program, accept an excellence award as Visiting Professor of the Petersen Foundation in Kiel, Germany, (http://www.geomar.de/en) and chair the World Economic Forum’s Ocean Council (http://www.weforum.org/content/global-agenda-council-oceans-2012-0). The World Economic Forum, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.”

    The Leslie Brodie Report has managed to confirm that Hayment is taking a sabbatical from October 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.

    The Leslie Brodie Report also managed to confirm that Haymet is presently employed at Los Angeles-based Phillips & Associates — a financial planning and fundraising counsel for not-for-profit institutions and organizations.

    According to Phillips & Associates, “Tony’ principal responsibilities focus on our firm’s assignment in the development of a new non-profit organization at the Port of Los Angeles.”

    The Leslie Brodie Report also managed to confirm that Hayment is also employed at Pegasus Capital Advisors — a private equity fund manager that has been providing creative capital and strategic solutions to companies across a variety of industries.

    It was not immidietly clear what, if any, are Haymet’s plans as far as CleanTECH — a private, non-profit member organization he launched in 2007.

    Please continue @:
    http://lesliebrodie.posterous.com/tag/donnalucas

  • AARP and AARP Foundation Fraudulent Profile of Director Barbara O’Connor of California Emerging Technology Fund (TLR Note:AARP, CETF, McPeak, English, O’Connor, Lucas and others mislead by intentionally withholding O’Connor part of Lucas Public Affairs)

    AARP Home » Foundation » About Us »Barbara O’Connor
    Barbara O’Connor
    AARP Affiliated Foundation board member

    from: AARP Foundation | June 6, 2012

    Barbara O’Connor, Ph.D., of Sacramento, Calif., was elected to the AARP Board in 2010. She serves on the Audit and Finance Committee and is on the Insurance Trust.

    She is a former professor of communication studies and director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media, California State University, Sacramento. Previously, she was assistant director of debate, University of Southern California, a summer debate instructor, Georgetown University, and a design consultant, Cablevision Systems, New Jersey. She has been chairperson and founding board member of the Alliance for Public Technology; a board member and officer, California Emerging Technology Fund; a member of the Bellcore Advisory Board; and a member of the Federal Communication Commission’s Network Reliability Council. She chaired the California Educational Technology Commission, the California Public Broadcasting Commission, the CEO Task Force on Digital Literacy and the International Council on Information Communication Technology.

    Source: http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/about-us/info-06-2012/barbara-oconnor-board-member.html

    AARP Leadership Profile:

    Life Perspectives

    "I grew up in West Texas, raised by a single mother. I was a first-generation college graduate. So I’ve lived through lots of what our members are living through.

    "Communications and politics have really been my longstanding interests, including technology access and equity, disabled rights, communication strategies and social movement building. I have a political background, and I started a public radio station in Sacramento and ran it for a while. We now have six radio stations there, the Capital Public Radio Network.

    "I have taught mostly technology policy and technology evolution — the hardware stuff. I also teach political communications and the impact of messaging on social movement formation.

    "I was fortunate enough to go to the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California, which is very geeky, so I was able to keep up with technology as it evolved. I chaired the California Public Broadcasting Commission, and I’m now an officer and director of the California Emerging Technology Fund.

    “AARP provides me an opportunity to do tele-health, to deal with issues of getting the 50-plus generation online. I get to help people who are unemployed at 50, using the Web. So being part of the AARP board is really a wonderful synergy of my interests and the organization’s interests….”

    "It’s getting more and more difficult to find a center in American politics. Part of it is the media’s fault. The news hole, in both broadcast and in print, has really been reduced. The downsizing and the mergers and acquisitions that have gone on in the media world have really done a disservice to public policy discussion. It’s made the media more event- and scandal-chasing — the lowest common denominator.

    "In political campaigns, it’s 30-second spots. So it’s no surprise that the public has fatigue about dealing with politicians. Every poll in America shows that they are held in very low esteem.

    "We can’t return to retail politics because we have the technology and everyone is used to using it. But longer formats, discussions, call-ins, coherent talk would be welcome. Certainly, AARP’s members would welcome that to address their concerns about big things such as Social Security.

    "AARP is nonpartisan, and ours is a trusted voice. We have to provide the voice of reason in these debates, so that it’s not a partisan political discussion, but really a rational, practical discussion.

    "People really do care about the issues that we work on. They’re central to their lives. We have to find a coherent solution to intractable problems.

    "We need to be very heavily data-driven. I think we do that, by the way. I think staff and our board are the best. And our volunteers are terrific. So I’m optimistic, actually.

    "A big part of our job as board members is to listen. You don’t let your own biases govern what you do. I have to listen to what the data says and to what members are telling me.

    “So if you’re data-driven and you really do listen to the members tell you what their issues are — and we have very good organs of information that help us with that, by the way, in the organization — then you can find consensus.”

    Expertise

    Politics, communications, debate, telecommunications policy, digital divide, senior health, tele-health, digital literacy, education technology.

    Education

    Ph.D., communications, University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communications; M.A., communications, California State University, Northridge; B.A., communications, California State University, Northridge; A.A., history, Los Angeles Valley College.

    Experience

    Currently, professor of communication and director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media, California State University, Sacramento. Previously, assistant director of debate, University of Southern California; summer debate instructor, Georgetown University; design consultant, Cablevision Systems, New Jersey.

    Volunteer experience

    Boards: Serves on AARP Board’s Audit and Finance Committee and the AARP Insurance Trust. Formerly, chairperson and founding board member, The Alliance for Public Technology; board member and officer, California Emerging Technology Fund; member, Bellcore Advisory Board.

    Other: Formerly, presidential debate judge, Washington Bureau, Associated Press; chair and commission member, California Public Broadcasting Commission (governor’s appointee); commission member, Federal Communication Commission, Network Reliability Council; chair, California Educational technology commission; chair, CEO Task Force on Digital Literacy; chair, International Council on Information Communication Technology; among many others.

    Honors

    Received a Lifetime Community Service Award, an outstanding teaching award, and the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professor Award from California State University, Sacramento. Received a Technology Pioneer Award from the Alliance for Public Technology; a Technology Leadership Award from Computer Using Educators. Named among 50 for the Future by Newsweek magazine.

    Source: http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/leadership/info-2010/barbara_oconnor.html

    –---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Lucas Public Affairs is a California-based strategic consulting, public relations, and communications firm. Located in Sacramento, C.A., Lucas Public Affairs was founded in 2006 by Donna Lucas, who is the firm’s CEO and President. The firm’s clients come from a myriad of industries including energy, sports and entertainment, transportation, natural resources, health care, business and finance, tourism and education.[2] The firm also offers services in the following practice areas: Strategic Communications, Crisis Communications, Issue & Reputation Management, Government Relations, Media, and Social Media

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Public_Affairs

    –---------------------------------------------------------------------
    June 15, 2011
    Barbara O’Connor joins Lucas Public Affairs as senior counsel

    Barbara O’Connor, a longtime Sacramento college professor and expert in political communications, has joined Lucas Public Affairs, the firm announced today.

    O’Connor will provide strategic guidance for the Sacramento-based public relations firm, which serves clients in the fields of energy, sports, entertainment, insurance, local government, education, health care and other fields. Her title will be senior counsel.

    “Barbara’s ongoing relationships with the California press corps, academic community, and national and statewide opinion leaders and policymakers make her a major asset to our team,” said Donna Lucas, president and chief executive officer, in a written statement.

    O’Connor also released a statement, saying, “I’m excited about partnering with everyone at Lucas Public Affairs. The issues are interesting and challenging. I’m looking forward to adding to the mix. I know I’m going to learn a lot.”

    Source: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/06/barbara-oconnor-joins-lucas-pu.html

    –---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    SACRAMENTO, CA - Lucas Public Affairs, one of California’s top strategic communications firms, today announced the addition of Dr. Barbara O’Connor, Emeritus Professor at Sacramento State University, to its growing team.

    "Dr. O’Connor will be serving as senior counsel to the firm, offering her experience and expertise on some of the firm’s top clients.

    A nationally recognized expert in the field of political communications, Dr. O’Connor will provide strategic guidance on some of the most complex issues that Lucas Public Affairs’ clients face.

    “I am thrilled that Barbara is joining our team. She is results-based and has a respected reputation – qualities that make her a perfect addition to the firm,” said Donna Lucas, CEO and President of Lucas Public Affairs. “Her years of experience and knowledge of California and her continued role in providing strategic counsel to many national organizations and media outlets will be of tremendous value as we help our clients navigate through challenges and achieve their business goals.”

    O’Connor — formerly a professor at Sacramento State University and director of the university’s Institute for the Study of Politics and Media — has over 43 years of experience teaching and in research.

    Besides Sacramento State, she has taught at Georgetown and USC where she was the assistant director of debate. She currently sits on the National Board of the American Association of Retired Persons. O’Connor has previously served as a consultant to McClatchy Newspapers, the Boston Globe Media Properties, the Tribune Company, the Washington Bureau of the Associated Press, the California Legislature, the United States Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.

    “I’m excited about partnering with everyone at Lucas Public Affairs. The issues are interesting and challenging,” O’Connor said. “I’m looking forward to adding to the mix. I know I’m going to learn a lot.”

    “Barbara’s ongoing relationships with the California press corps, academic community and national and statewide opinion leaders and policymakers make her a major asset to our team,” said Lucas.

    Last year, the firm announced the promotions of Justin Knighten, Rachel Huberman and Annie Han and the addition of seasoned media strategist Beth Willon.

    Led by Lucas, founder of the firm and one of the nation’s foremost public affairs strategists, Lucas Public Affairs’ existing team includes: public affairs experts Julie Marengo, Senior Vice President, and Jessica Spitz Biller, Vice President—who together have a combined 30+ years of experience managing complex and multi-faceted communications programs for a host of clients and issues; Beth Willon, Senior Account Supervisor & Media Specialist; Justin Knighten, Account Executive; Emilie Cameron, Account Coordinator; Rachel Huberman, Account Coordinator; and Annie Han, Executive Assistant.

    Source: http://www.lucaspublicaffairs.com/lpa/index.cfm/news/dr-barbara-oe28099connor-joins-lucas-public-affairs

    Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/06/barbara-oconnor-joins-lucas-pu.html#storylink=cpy

  • BREAKING NEWS... Developing... Members of State Bar of California Board of Trustees Alleged Fraudulent Misrepresentation Re Public Members George Davis and Jeannine English — Spouse of Howard Dickstein

    The Leslie Brodie Report (TLR) is carefully following a major developing story relating to State Bar of California Board of Governors / Trustees ("BOG") Public Members George Davis and Jeannine English.

    According to knowledgeable sources, speaking on condition on anonymity, both Davis and English (spouse of Howard Dickstein, both defendants in two separate RICO suits) are under scrutiny for seeking to mislead and defraud the public.

    Specifically, despite the fact that Davis and English exited the BOG in October of 2012, executive and directors of State Bar of California conspired to engage, and did in fact engage, in further acts of racketeering through and by means of fraud in seeking to create a false appearance that Davis and English are presently member of the BOG.

    Please continue @:
    http://lesliebrodie.posterous.com/breaking-news-developing-members-of-state-bar

  • Ben and Shauna Pilgreen of San Francisco’s Epic Church at 543 Howard Revisited --- Church Launched on Barack Obama’s Inaaguration Day — YR Alleges to Mask Fingerprints of Kapor/OSAP/CaliforniaALL/Obama for America

    An epic journey — Linda Bergquist, New Church Starting Strategist serving the Bay Area

    The first time Ben Pilgreen and his church planting team set foot in San Francisco was inauguration day, 2009. Their first site visit was south of the Market district, close to the ballpark, where old warehouses were being quickly replaced with new high-rise apartments and condos. Two hundred thousand people were moving to this side of the city.

    That’s all it took for Ben and Shawna Pilgreen and their team. Leaving their hearts in San Francisco, they went home to develop partnerships, create church planting systems and select a name. Epic church was conceived.

    The Epic team moved to San Francisco in May and June 2010, and hosted their first preview service on 10-10-10. Five preview services later, they opted to begin weekly services on February 13. The launch service, held at the W Hotel in San Francisco, was a wonderful event. There wer e196 local people and 42 people from mission teams present. The excitement was high – a church was born.

    We are so grateful for John Marshall, pastor of Second Baptist Church, Springfield, Missouri (Ben’s sending church) and so many other wonderful partner churches who made this day possible. One of Epic’s most active partnering churches is Southbay Church in Santa Clara, which is celebrating its second birthday this month. Crossroads Church, a local partner for Southbay, has sacrifically partnered too, making Epic their congregational grandchild.

    Epic has a promising future as a great missional church.

    Source:

    http://www.csbc.com/article282285.htm?title=1&links=1&body=1

  • Addendum to “Profile of CaliforniaALL Director Cary Martin Zellerbach of Martin Investment Management, LLC” — “Cary Martin Zellerbach” and “Mary Ellen Zellerbach” Are One And The Same

    Mary Ellen Zellerbach

    Managing Director at Martin Investment Management, LLC

    San Francisco, California (San Francisco Bay Area)
    Investment Management

    Join LinkedIn and access Mary Ellen Zellerbach’s full profile.

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    Mary Ellen Zellerbach’s Overview

    Current

    Managing Director at Martin Investment Management, LLC

    Connections

    0 connections

    Mary Ellen Zellerbach’s Experience
    Managing Director
    Martin Investment Management, LLC

    Partnership; 1-10 employees; Investment Management industry

    Currently holds this position

    See Source:

    http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-ellen-zellerbach/44/30/a75

    Prior profile as was published here under the name “Cary,” below:

    Cary Martin Zellerbach is the Managing Director of Martin Investment Management. Among her previous affiliations, she was a founding Principal and Executive Vice President of Mellon Capital Management Corporation and is a former Director of Client Services at Tukman Capital Management. As a 1973 graduate in economics of Wellesley College, Cary is a Charter Board Member of the Wellesley Business Leadership Council.

    She received an MBA from Stanford University in 1976 where she has served as a Trustee of the Stanford Business School Trust. In addition to her service as a member of the National Advisory Panel for the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Cary volunteers on behalf of the Graduate School of Business and is Vice President of the Stanford Women’s Club of San Francisco. Outside Stanford, she is the co-author of Having It All/Having Enough: How to Create a Career/Family Balance That Works for You and is a Trustee of St. Norbert College in Wisconsin and Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Elementary School in San Francisco. Cary also serves on the Board of Overseers of the University of California’s School of Nursing.

    Source credit:

    www.daughtersandsonstowork.org

    According to Martin Investment Management, LLC, it is an independent, majority female, employee-owned firm. They are an experienced, consistent, focused, dedicated, pragmatic and approachable management team. Their clients will always have access to them. The firm is GIPS compliant, and the firm has been verified by an independent verifier on an annual basis from 1990 to 2008. The firm is a member of the Investment Adviser Association (IAA).

    Source:

    http://www.martin-investments.com/index.php?id=whoweare