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Posted on 05/04/2002 6:57:04 AM PDT by randita
Oracle lobbyist had questionable ethical past
Mehta once fined for violating political reform laws he enforced
Greg Lucas, Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Saturday, May 4, 2002
Sacramento -- One man was a longtime Capitol operative, an Oracle Corp. lobbyist whose career had already been marred by a fine for violating the political ethics rules he once enforced.
The other was a young loyalist to Gov. Gray Davis who had worked on the governor's campaign and was rewarded with a post as chief technology adviser.
It was a simple over-drinks exchange last June of a $25,000 campaign check from Oracle's lobbyist, Ravi Mehta, that cost Davis' 31-year-old director of egovernment, Arun Baheti, his job Thursday.
That meeting in a Sacramento bar took place two weeks after the giant software company signed a questionable $95 million contract with the Davis administration.
"I don't want to see myself dragged through this day after day," Baheti told The Chronicle Friday. "I think it's an absolute distraction for the governor and, if my resignation can help put a close to this, it's the appropriate thing to do."
On Friday, Attorney General Bill Lockyer -- who is investigating the circumstances of the contract -- said Baheti's actions were ''stupid" but that "nothing on the face of it appears to be illegal."
Mehta, 43, has a history of ethically questionable actions dating back to when he chaired the state's political watchdog commission in 1995.
Oracle officials said Mehta has been their lobbyist for three years, working with the company's sales force and government affairs office.
"Our judgment at the time was Ravi could add value so we engaged him," said Ken Glueck, an Oracle vice president for goverment affairs. "Ravi is still engaged with the company."
Mehta did not return calls for comment.
As a lobbyist, Mehta first worked with Arter & Hadden, a national law firm that opened a Sacramento office in 1998. Mehta brought Oracle with him as a client.
"Ravi is a very personable guy and friendly. From what I saw of him he was a competent lawyer," said Ed Marzec, a Los Angeles lawyer, who worked with Mehta in Arter & Hadden's Sacramento office.
While at the law firm, Mehta was sued for sexual harassment by an employee who said Mehta convinced her to leave a state job and work at the firm. The case was settled in January 2000.
In 2001, the firm closed the Sacramento office as part of a nationwide restructuring. Mehta took Oracle and his other clients and opened Capitol Advocacy.
In October 2001, Mehta agreed to pay the Fair Political Practices Commission a $23,000 fine for violating political reform laws he had once enforced as chair of the same commission from 1995 to 1997.
Mehta was the treasurer of the California Pro Business Committee, which was supporting Dan Lungren in his gubernatorial race against Davis in 1998. He was charged with using $7,000 in contributions to the committee to paint his Porsche 911 Carrera.
Before being named chair of the commission in 1995, Mehta served four years as a deputy appointments secretary to then-Gov. Pete Wilson.
While the $103,000-a-year chair of the commission, Mehta was stripped of his power to run the agency in October 1996 by his fellow commissioners.
The action capped months of sniping between Mehta and his fellow commissioners who were angry that he set commission policy without consulting them, backed legislation opposed by the majority and, in one instance, overbilled the state nearly $300 in travel expenses.
Mehta was also criticized for accepting between $250 and $1,000 for giving legal help to Wilson's chief of staff in a private real estate deal while the commission was investigating a Wilson Cabinet secretary.
In his first year on the job, Mehta did, however, levy more fines than the commission had done in its first 18 years of existence.
Mehta resigned in 1997 after he told a group of lobbyists attending a mandatory ethics seminar that he questioned the constitutionality of Proposition 208, a campaign finance initiative enacted by voters in 1996.
Mehta's agency was responsible for implementing the measure and defending it in court.
One of Mehta's state technology contacts as Oracle's lobbyist was Arun Baheti, director of Davis' eGovernment initiative, a post he was appointed to in September 2000. Prior to that, he had worked for Davis for several years both in the administration and on the campaign.
He was also a policy adviser on higher education issues for Davis when Davis was lieutenant governor.
At the same time, he worked for the California Democratic Party, organizing the party's computerized library. He was there in 1996 when Steve Smith, now director of the Department of Industrial Relations, was running the party's statewide coordinated get-out-the-vote campaign.
Baheti held the same position in 1998, when Susan Kennedy ran the outreach campaign. Kennedy, who is now Davis' Cabinet secretary, signed off on a memo outlining the Oracle deal.
Baheti could not be reached for comment.
On financial disclosure documents, Baheti discloses several trips and gifts related to government technology conference that he attended, including one in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and another in Taipai, Taiwan.
He declared $4,000 for air fare and lodging to give the keynote speech at a conference sponsored by the government of Dubai.
E-mail the reporters at glucas@sfchronicle and lgledhill@sfchronicle.com.
Chalk this article up as just another press release smear from Davis' PR office.
calgov2002:
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calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register |
At the same time, he worked for the California Democratic Party, organizing the party's computerized library. He was there in 1996 when Steve Smith, now director of the Department of Industrial Relations, was running the party's statewide coordinated get-out-the-vote campaign.
Simon's surrogates should be all over this ....and pronto.
I had flags and questions myself on this. Then I read this, and went hmm, Grampa Dave may be on target again: ............(Mehta) "worked for the Cali Dems, organizing the party's computerized library. He was there in 1996 when Steve Smith, now director of the Dept of Industrial Relations, was running the party's statewide coordinated get-out-the-vote campaign."
Once something likes this really breaks loose, the people who aren't real crooks and have been forced to play these games will often blow the whistle. Lets hope that this starts to happen! Sometimes the real crooks will roll over to make a deal. Lets hope that happens too.
Riordan spokeswoman Margita Thompson says Maviglio's comments are simply designed to divert attention from at least $117,000 in campaign donations from Enron that Davis has received since 1998.
Here is the link: (Davis received at least $117,000 from Enron)
This data needs to be recycled! Please post it, email and send it to friends and relatives.
........Simon's people can connect the dots I betcha......
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