It Couldn't Be HaPPening to a Nicer Fella
DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists
GO SIMON
Posted on 06/12/2002 10:55:32 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Edited on 04/13/2004 3:29:25 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
ASSEMBLYMAN: `SOMEBODY GOT TO HIM'
SACRAMENTO - A former state attorney who was expected to call into question the truthfulness of one of Gov. Gray Davis' Cabinet secretaries Tuesday abruptly refused to testify before lawmakers investigating California's controversial Oracle deal.
(Excerpt) Read more at bayarea.com ...
Good catch Norm!!!
I bet he was silenced!
calgov2002:
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By Dawn Kawamoto
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 12, 2002, 12:05 PM PT
As questions mounted about a controversial contract between California and Oracle, a lobbyist for the database giant wrote a detailed memo encouraging the company to make a series of cash contributions to win the support of top state legislators.
According to the e-mail, Oracle lobbyist Ravi Mehta encouraged Robert Hoffman, director of legislative affairs at the company, to "make contributions to a number of individuals who are presently in office or running in safe seats and will be elected to the California legislature next year."
The Jan. 5 memo, released Wednesday by the legislative audit committee investigating the $95 million contract, lists nine state politicians, summarizes why they are important to Oracle and recommends how much money they should receive.
For example, the memo notes that one candidate for the assembly will "be an ardent supporter of Oracle when elected." At another point Mehta asks whether Oracle would "consider making a charitable contribution (to) Stanford" and earmark it to support the son of a state senator who was a student at the university.
The e-mail is likely to add fuel to a controversy that has already enmeshed top state politicians. Gov. Gray Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer have returned campaign contributions from Oracle in the wake of the scandal.
The contract was signed in May 2001, but questions began to surface early this year. In April, a critical state auditor's report found the contract gave the state more software licenses than it had employees. The audit said it would cost California $41 million more than the state's existing contracts, rather than save more than $100 million over six to 10 years, as Oracle maintains. The auditor's report also criticized the speed with which the deal was approved by the governor's office and other state agencies.
In response to the new memo, Oracle spokesman Jim Finn said Wednesday that Mehta "is a lobbyist and it's his job to make suggestions." But Finn stressed that "Oracle did not act on any one of those items" and he later added that the e-mail was "thrown in the trash."
The nine politicians listed in the e-mail are: California State Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson Jr.; Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, D-Cudahy; Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza , D-Long Beach; Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden; Sen. Steve Peace, D-El Cajon; Assemblyman Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks; Assemblyman John Campbell, R-Irvine; Rudy Bermudez, vice mayor of Norwalk who is running in the November election for the Assembly; and Greg Pettis, mayor pro tem of Cathedral City, a Democrat who lost in the March primary as candidate for Assembly.
Specifically, the memo states:
• "Herb Wesson--While we have already made a contribution to Herb, I believe as speaker he will be very helpful to Oracle. I am planning a dinner meeting with Herb ... on the 22nd of January. I'd like to give him a check for $10K at the dinner."
• "Marco Firebaugh--We should deliver the 10K check that you originally requested. I would like to do this at the dinner with Herb."
• "Jenny Oropeza--She is going to be the new assembly budget committee chair. We will need her to ensure that the Enterprise (License) Agreement continues to be funded. ($5K). Moreover she has been extremely good to Oracle in the past, particularly when the Enterprise License Agreement was discussed in the Tech. Committee in August."
• "Senator Mike Machado--He was very critical of the ELA during the Tech Committee hearing. He was being instigated by IBM. I have met with him and explained the deal and he feels he was misled by IBM. However, (he) cautioned that he wants to wait to see the audit report before making a final decision on whether it was a good deal for the state. He called me in December and asked for Oracle's support. I told him we would support him."
• "Senator Steve Peace--He chairs the joint Legislative Audit Committee and was extremely critical about the way the ELA was negotiated... He also indicated that 'Logicon may have been involved in activity that could be potentially criminal.'
"Peace's chief of staff called in late October and indicated that Peace's son, who is a student at Stanford is working on a project and is looking for corporate sponsorship. He asked whether Oracle would consider making a charitable contribution (to) Stanford, earmarked for this project. I told him I would look into this.
"I believe Oracle should seriously consider making a contribution directly to Stanford and earmark it for this project. I assume Oracle generally makes such charitable gifts to higher education."
• Rudy Bermudez "is running (in a) Democratic district and is expected to win. $1K."
• "Greg Pettis--He too is running in a Demo district and is expected to win. I have been asked by leadership to get him $3K because he needs it. Greg will be an ardent supporter of Oracle when elected."
• "Dave Cox--Currently the assembly leader--he was helpful to us during the audit debate. His district also covers Oracle (Rocklin) $1K."
• "John Campbell--He will be the vice chair of either the Assm. Appropriations or budget committees. We do definitely need to support him (Newport Bch. Rep.) Very powerful on the (Republican) side and well respected on the (Democratic) side."
The memo concludes, "Robert, I'd appreciate expediting these contributions...If these contributions are acceptable ... please let me know what campaign-related information you need from the various individuals."
Oracle spokesman Finn emphasized Wednesday that "when it was received at the time it was rejected out of hand...and again speaks of Mr. Mehta's poor judgment." At the end of last month, Finn said Oracle "severed its relationship" with Mehta.
Representatives for some of the politicians said they had no comment when reached Wednesday.
Oropeza's chief of staff, Beverly Hunter, sharply dismissed the comments in the document. Hunter said Wednesday morning that Oropeza was not present at the August committee meeting that specifically mentioned the enterprise licensing agreement with Oracle. Hunter added that Oropeza was not recorded as commenting at all on another August meeting of the subcommittee on information and technology.
"We don't really know what Mr. Mehta was referring to," Hunter said. "I don't know what he's implying when he says 'good to Oracle.' ... I don't know that she's not talked to people at Oracle, but I know she hasn't spearheaded previous contracts."
In May, Lockyer returned $50,000 in campaign contributions made by Oracle, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Oracle also had made a $25,000 contribution to California Gov. Gray Davis that aides say was received just after the contract was signed. Oracle lobbyists gave the check to Arun Baheti, who resigned as director of e-government last week over his role in the Oracle contract negotiations.
At the time, Oracle defended the donations to Davis and Lockyer.
"Because Oracle is headquartered in California and is one of the largest employers in the state, we think it is important for us to participate in the political process," Oracle Chief Financial Officer Jeff Henley said in May.
And every day more comes out and WHAM! it gets closer to Davis.
Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock
Dump Davis, November 5, 2002
The OC Register had a story on him today, I think!
Oracle lobbyist has O.C. history
Mehta's testimony is certain to focus new attention on the money-for-policy allegations that have dogged the Davis administration. The governor has raised about $1 million a month since he took office 31/2 years ago, much of it from companies that do business with the state.
Betcha graydavis feels like it's "The Night of The Living Dead."
Nightmare keeps coming at him, stalking him day after day.
WIN BY ONETIME PROTEGE DAVIS COULD PAY OFF BIG FOR BROWN, S.F.
And this just turned up also!
Gov. Gray Davis appoints Willie Brown to board which governs CA's largest pension fund
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