Posted on 08/28/2012 2:51:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin
COSTA MESA (CBSLA.com) — A Costa Mesa city councilman on Tuesday said a law firm involved in ongoing pension negotiations with the police department was behind an alleged plot to set him up with a false DUI report.
KNX 1070′s Mike Landa reports Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer was joined at a media briefing by other local lawmakers who claim they have targeted by the same law firm.
Fullerton Councilman Bruce Whitaker, Buena Park Councilman Fred Smith, Irvine Councilman Jeff Lalloway and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach all joined Righeimer at a news conference on Tuesday to call out the Upland law firm of Lackie, Dammeier & McGill.
“What they’re doing is they’re making elected officials make a decision between voting the right way for their community and protecting themselves from embarrassment, harm, or worse,” said Righeimer.
Representatives from Lackie, Dammeier, & McGill denied any wrongdoing.
Righeimer was issued a field sobriety test after an informant called 911 at about 6 p.m. last Wednesday to report a driver who was possibly drunk.
The caller then followed the driver — later identified as Righeimer — from the Skosh Monohan’s restaurant to his home in Mesa Verde and directed police to Righeimer’s residence.
Now Righeimer tells KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that the person who called police was tailing him for a longer period of time than he previously believed.
“The person was actually following me the whole day, they were a hired investigator,” Righeimer said. “When you listen to the 911 tapes, he’s basically guiding them to my house.”
Righeimer said police arrived shortly after he arrived at his home on Fairview Road and Avocado Avenue and was given a sobriety test, which he passed.
After the officer “apologized and then walked away,” Righeimer said his wife pointed out the officer speaking with a motorist at the end of his block.
“At that point, I immediately knew that I was being set up,” he said.
The caller reportedly identified himself as Chris Lanzillo, a former Riverside police officer who has worked as a private investigator for the law firm that, until last week, represented the Costa Mesa Police Association, the union for the city’s police officers, according to the Daily Pilot.
No charges were filed. Police are currently investigating the call.
At a news conference on Friday, Righeimer showed his receipt for two Diet Cokes totaling $6 from Skosh Monahan’s from the night in question.
Now Righeimer alleges that the person who phoned in the 911 call may be connected to ongoing talks to outsource municipal jobs to private companies to bolster finances for the cash-strapped city.
“The issue here is that the false report was brought in and that person, it now comes to light, works for the law firm that our police association has doing their negotiations,” said Righeimer.
Negotiations with the police union include a proposal that would give retirees 81 percent of pay at 55 years of age as opposed to their current 90 percent of pay at 50 years of age, according to Righeimer.
In addition to the Costa Mesa Police investigation, Righeimer expects the Orange County District Attorney’s office to look into the 911 call, along with possible coordination with “several” other district attorneys from various counties.
The Chicago Way comes to California. Lovely.
I wonder how tangled this web will be if they subpoena the investigators phone records for that day.
It would be a good thing for the public if this scandal deflates some of the unpricipled power of the unions.
The largest avalanche starts with the fall of a few pebbles.
Let’s hope that this Union and its thug tactics backfire BIG-TIME!
This same thing goes on all the time on all sides. It is just one side that got caught this time. The cries of indignation do not work with me on this one.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer was joined at a media briefing by other local lawmakers who claim they have targeted by the same law firm. Fullerton Councilman Bruce Whitaker, Buena Park Councilman Fred Smith, Irvine Councilman Jeff Lalloway and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach all joined Righeimer at a news conference on Tuesday to call out the Upland law firm of Lackie, Dammeier & McGill.That would appear to work just about once, then it would be, look, one of the partners was found in the trunk of his Lexus, other than his head. Lather, rinse, repeat. All clean.
LOL why would one of the partners normally be found inside of his own head?
I think a certain CA City Councilman is going to get a really big check in the near future!
I think someone’s going to be writing a large check and maybe learning how an institutional laundry operates.
Give me some examples of the Right cheating, lying, stealing...like the Left does. Please be honest.
I will await your response.
Me too.
That was not the comparison that was being made in my comment. Sorry if I was not clear. The subject is political tactics and who uses them. My contention is that both sides use political tactics.
Do you agree with that position?
We need grammar police. Or I suppose we could all just talk ghetto.
On this subject, are you seriously suggesting that the right never put out a deceptive add or took a political low blow that was downright lying?
Where do you live? In these parts of the country Republicans use these tactics against other Republicans. Did you forget the sarcasm tag by any chance?
Yes.
Of course I realize Republicans are people too...Ha!! And thus lie, cheat and steal too. But on the same par as Dims?? Nope.
I've seen some pretty vicious attacks by Republicans during elections, sadly against other Republicans during a primary. And yes it has been as bad as anything I have seen from the left. It is sad really.
I've seen some pretty vicious attacks by Republicans during elections, sadly against other Republicans during a primary. And yes it has been as bad as anything I have seen from the left. It is sad really.
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