Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s Larry Sonsini Asked to Conduct Formal Investigation Into Actions of John Roos, Mark Parnes:
Mr. Sonsini:
In that I entertain thoughts that around 2007-2008 John Roos and Mark Parnes may have participated in a scheme to embezzle and/or launder money from/through the California Bar Foundation in conjunction with non-profit entity CaliforniaALL to benefit “Obama for America”, this will serve to discuss the following:
Unlike James Brosnahan, Tony West, Annette Carnegie, Chris Young,
Susan Mac Cormac (of Morrison & Foerster), Ron Olson, Jeff Bleich,
Brad Phillips (of Munger Tolles & Olson), Steven Churchwell (of DLA
Piper), Kamala Harris, Judy Johnson, and Holly Fujie — where
evidence provides a clear enmeshment between the actors, the firm, as
well as an intense desire by the clients (i.e.Southern California
Edison, PG&E, Sempra Energy) to finance the scheme; as far as Messrs. Roos and Parnes, I don’t see the same level of involvement on your part, your firm, or any your clients.
Nevertheless, I must ask Wilson Sonsini to conduct a formal
investigation into the past actions of Messrs. Parnes and Roos.
Specifically, while Mr. Parnes served as director and secretary of the
California Bar Foundation, 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, the Foundation offers an excuse as to the
negative balance (See page 9:
►http://www.scribd.com/doc/48712884/3-2008-Annual-Report-of-Foundation-of-the-State-Bar-of-California-Foundation
)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
Unfortunately, while I able to ascertain from 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.
Also troubling, for example, 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
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.
CaliforniaALL was conveniently housed free of charge at the offices of
DLA Piper in Sacramento, alongside the draft committee of OBAMA FOR
AMERICA . Steve Churchwell of DLA Piper in Sacramento served as
Treasurer of the draft committee of OBAMA FOR AMERICA.
As matters presently stand, and while other potential explanations
certainly exist, my inquiry leads me to suspect that in 2007 - 2008
the following actors:
Morrison & Foerster’s James Brosnahan (self-proclaimed “mastermind
behind the Democratic Party”),
Morrison & Foerster’s Tony West (Barack Obama’s Chair of California
Finance Committee),
Morrison & Foerster’s Chris Young ("Obama for America" Northern
California Deputy Finance Director) ,
Morrison & Foerster’s Annette Carnegie ( 2007-2008 director with the
California Bar Foundation),
Munger Tolles & Olson’s Jeff Bleich (president of the State Bar of
California, director with the California Bar Foundation, founding
member and Chair of Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee),
Munger Tolles & Olson’s Brad Phillips (2007-2008 director with the
California Bar Foundation),
DLA Piper’s Steven Churchwell (Treasurer, draft committee of OBAMA FOR
AMERICA) ,
Wilson Sonsini’s Mark Parnes ( 2007-2008 director and secretary of
the California Bar Foundation),
Wilson Sonsini’s John Roos ( friend of Jeff Bleich, “bundler” for
Barack Obama) ,
Kamala Harris (Obama for America, CaliforniaALL),
may have participated in a scheme to misuse the California Bar
Foundation/CaliforniaALL for the purpose of embezzling /laundering
funds originating from utility companies which were unlawfully
misdirected to Obama for America.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to have your assistant contact me.