TWO YEAR UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION
FBI PRIROITY POLICY - "PUBLIC CORRUPTION POSES A FUNDAMENTAL THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY"MAY 2010 - PART 1
SAN DIEGO NORTH COUNTY TIMES (NCT) $84,000.00+ SILENCE PAYOFF IN 2009 FROM OCEANSIDE'S CORRUPT FIRST RESPONDERS & THEIR PUBLIC UNIONS
OCEANSIDE FIREFIGHTERS CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS
The North County Times Newspaper (NCT) was paid at least $84,498.35 by the Oceanside Fire Fighters Union (OFA), to publish and deliver fraudulent election campaign literature to Oceanside citizens. Fraudulent election literature that multiple NCT reporters and Editors knew was fraudulent. The money was collected and paid by the Oceanside Fire and Police Departments through their unions in 2008 and 2009, to support the on going Kern Recall Election fraud conspiracy. News investigations and stories on the Police and Fire election fraud, and on going large scale Police and District Attorney Evidence Tampering, were avoided and suppressed, if they lead to the public unions.
The stories were in part avoided to protect the NCT election advertising cash flow from public unions like the Oceanside Firefighters (OFA) and Oceanside Police Officers (OPOA) unions, and cash from the union controlled corrupt elected officials. The NCT special protection was also extended to protect NCT reporters news story access, to the police and DA's, and to avoid conflicts with other high profile, well financed, first responder public unions in San Diego County. Union members also buy a lot of newspapers, and that would also have to be taken into consideration, to protect the papers circulation income from union retaliations. Unions in general have always gone after companies and individuals that endanger union cash flows.
Within ten months of GTI News Photo starting the public corruption investigation "Sting" in 2008 in San Diego County, California, it became clear that the so called "FREE PRESS" was not interested in investigating, or reporting on Public Union corruption. This was especially true when the unions members were Police Officers, Firemen, and District Attorneys. GTI News Photo's "Sting Investigations" were then expanded to include news media groups state wide. A system of phone calls, and e-mail notifications to the major News Papers, Television News Departments, and their reporters was set up to channel hard evidence news leads of public criminal corruption, with documentation, to news reporters.
NEWS MEDIA E-MAIL NOTIFICATION LIST OF 500+ CONTACTS
This was done to provide documentation on what the media would report on, or would not report on. An e-mail list of every newspaper and television news outlet in the State Of California was developed for e-mail notifications on the public corruption and for each published article. More than 5,000 e-mail notifications with links to documentation were sent out during an eighteen month period. Hundreds of phone calls were made directly to reporters and editors.
The North County Times
Between May 2008 and the start of publication of these articles in early 2010, more than one hundred contacts were made with eleven North County Times Reporters and Editors. The contacts were to provide news tips and documentation on the San Diego and Oceanside public unions election tampering, evidence tampering, obstruction of justice, and civil rights violations. The contacts included more than two dozen public oral presentations to the Oceanside City Council in public meeting, recorded and broadcast by the public broadcast station. North County Times reporters were present to cover the council meetings as a normal course of business.
The NCT staff contacted are as follows:
Kent Davy - NCT Editor
Dan McSwain - NCT Managing Editor
Craig Tenbroeck - Staff Reporter City Council Beat
Teri Figueroa - Staff Reporter Court Beat
Melanie Marshall - News Editor
Ray Huard - Staff Reporter City Council Beat
Joy Buckles - Staff Reporter
S. Brandt - Staff Reporter
P. Sisson - Staff Reporter
Barbara Henry - Staff Reporter
Sarah Gordon - Staff Reporter
Regular group e-mails, with links to published articles, were sent to all available NCT staff listed on the NCT Web site, as each of the articles was published.
All request for interviews with NCT reporters and supervisors to explain their lack of investigation and reporting were quickly declined. Editor Kent Davy and Managing Editor Dan McSwain stated they would not provide interviews, nor would they allow any of their employee reporters to be interviewed, regarding union advertising income, or their failure to cover news stories. Editor McSwain stated that his reporters simply did not have the time to do the kind of in depth investigation that this reporter was doing. Editor Davy and McSwain repeatedly stated that the Advertising and News Departments were completely separate, as if one was in New York and the other in China. Editor Davy stated that Publisher Pete York also refused to be interviewed, and that York had stated that the estimated $90,000.00 in NCT advertising income from the Oceanside Fire and Police Unions was a "ten fold exaggeration". Publisher York may need to consider paying closer attention to what his reporters are not covering, unless he, or someone else, told at least 10 reporters, not to go after public unions.
Campaign Finance records (CFRs) show that the Oceanside Fire Fighter's Association (OFA), and Oceanside Police Officer's Association (OPOA) election fraud conspiracy to expand their union pay and benefits was underway in late 2008. As of December 2008 the OFA Union had collected $36,081.37 from the Police Officers, and $67,600.00 from the Firefighters for a total of $99,000.00+ during just 2008. However, the election fraud conspiracy was not publicly activated until January of 2009 with the filing of the Kern Recall Committee paper work. This was done to take advantage of the six month campaign finance reporting cycles, to hide the money trail leading from the first responder unions, into the Kern Recall, and to keep Oceanside citizens in the dark as long as possible, to facilitate the illegal manipulation of their votes.
The OFA Union's, October thru December 2008 campaign finance records, show independent expenditures of $33,797.44 was paid for North County Times Ads, Mailers, and signs. The money was listed as supporting the three election committees of Charles Lowery, who would run against Kern if the Recall conspiracy was successful, and union hired guns, Mayor Jim Wood and Deputy Mayor Esther Sanchez. It should be noted that Wood and Sanchez were not up for re-election until two years later in 2012. There was also a direct cash payment listed of $4,311.65 to the North County Times for ads. Deputy Mayor Sanchez's committee reported less than $1000 in non-monetary contribution to the NCT, and Mayor Wood's committee did not report the late 2008 donations from the OFA Union as required by law.
Any news media staff or executive would know from previous experience that there are large dollars in advertising for special election petition drives. They would also know that a recall petition drive could lead to a lot more advertising money, if the special election petition drive was successful, and the election when forward.
The later proved to be the case, with an October 2009 OFA payment of $80,186.70 to the North County Times for additional advertising and campaign flyer distributions. The cash total of $84,498.35 does not include opposition money or any other potential outside independent payment, on which the NCT does not want to be questioned.
By late April 2009 the Kern Recall signature drive was in full swing with massive fraudulent advertising, paid for by the above payments to the NCT and others to support the recall. However, there was no evidence of a OFA union drive to recruit volunteers to handle the petition signature drive. This reporter took a few day to survey local shopping centers and question the people gathering the recall signature petitions. They all worked for the San Diego based company, The La Jolla Group, that specialized in petition signature drives. None of the petition gathers contacted lived in Oceanside, and none could qualify as a senior citizen. This did not match claims in campaign flyers and advertisements that "senior residents, fearing eviction from their homes, set up the recall election". Phone calls to the La Jolla Group were blocked with a referral to the Kern Recall committee. Calls to the Kern Recall were "no comment".
The information on campaign ads being falsified and the money trail leading to the Fire Department was given to a number of reporters including NCT reporter Craig Tenbroeck, who was covering the city council meetings.
There was never any evidence of follow up, investigation or reporting by the North County Times, or any other news organization.
News Media Union Protection Expands
In late May 2009 the News Media story avoidance of the public unions election fraud, expanded to Oceanside Police evidence tampering. North County Times Reporter Teri Figueroa discovered the Oceanside Officer Damon Smith Evidence Tampering, and published her first story on May 13, 2009. A follow up story was done on May 22, 2009. For eight years, an Oceanside Police Officer, Damon Smith, secretly recorded criminal investigations on audio tape, with the intent to hide the audio tapes from the criminal justice system, and Smith was not the only Officer or DA involved. The evidence tampering was discovered in court, under sworn oath. More than Fifty audio evidence tapes were recovered, and turned over to the District Attorneys Special Operations Division. District Attorney Dumanis and Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy immediately started public announcements, re-writing felony criminal statutes on evidence tampering by police officers, to support suppression of all criminal investigations. The OPOA was protecting the election fraud, and the DA's Office was protecting eight years of corrupted criminal prosecutions. No one in the NCT, or any of the San Diego Media challenged the DA or Police on the evidence tampering cover up, and the story was dropped.
When this reporter later finds a credible attorney witness to the involvement of other Oceanside Police Officers in the Officer Smith evidence tampering, lead investigator DDA Gunn and Police avoid contact, suppress the witness, and close the investigation.
The NCT reporters were given the witness identity and contact information, and the suppression details.
There was never any evidence of NCT, any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
A full press investigation of the Officer Smith evidence tampering would have lead directly to other police and DA evidence tampering, and the on going Police and Fire Union Election Fraud. It would have also exposed eight years of corrupted DA criminal cases to new investigations and prosecutions. It would have had a dramatic impact on union financial resources, and the DA's and Police's public union image. It would be many months before the investigation disclosed that the Oceanside Police and District Attorney's cover up was also to protect other on going Police and DA evidence tampering. The cover up was also connected to obstructing a $20,000,000.00 civil suit against DAs Dumanis and Gunn for evidence tampering in the Cynthia Sommer Murder Prosecution.
In July 2009 the OFA campaign finance records (CFR) were not filed on time as required by law. This reporter checked on the CFR's several times at the end of July and was told they had not been filed. The OFA wanted the signature drive approved by the city council, and an election date set, before the Campaign Finance records were filed and available to the public. When the petition signature drive was finished in mid to late July, the first available council meeting was August 12, 2009, which was 12 days past the required filing dates. Extensive evidence of campaign finance record falsification, and election fraud, with a city council vote controlled by the opposition, could mean a rejection of the signature drive.
Some exposure from the local press editorials, and the investigation of public record falsification, by this reporter, did put someone in the City Clerk's Office on notice that the OFA, Kern Recall, and The Parks and Beaches committees were falsifying their CFR's. The Campaign finance records submission for July showed the following FPPC violations and irregularities.
The Parks and Beaches Committee's first CFR submission showed a committee date of 7-31-09, the last legal day for submission. The official City Received Stamp was missing the date. This was unusual, compared to other records reviewed. The committee did not declare their OFA financial sponsorship as required by law. Someone in the City Clerks Office caught the violation and required a new submission that had a complete City Clerks Date Stamp, with a date of August 25, 2009, which was 13 days after the council vote. The committee's approximate $5500.00 budget included the $5000.00 secretly received from the OFA, and re-donated to the Kern Recall to hide the OFA financial control of the committee and the election.
The OFA records showed the same date manipulations to make it appear the records were properly submitted in July, when they were actually submitted in late August. The first record submission had a committee date of 7-20-09, and again a City Clerk Received Stamp, without a date, just like the falsified Parks and Beaches Committee report. The document shows the City Clerk required the records to be re-submitted and stamped with a date of August 20, 2009, which was 8 days after the council vote.
The Kern Recall Committee date stamps indicated they were held until the very last reporting day of July 31, 2009. A minor filer name error required them to be re-submitted and they also had a City Clerk filing date stamp of August 24, 2009, or 12 days after the council vote on the signature drive. The Kern Records showed one (1) individual contributor for $125.00, and $25,000 plus from the OFA, or total financial control.
The date manipulation and late filings was to obscure the public record on the criminal vote manipulations, and avoid attracting action from the State FPPC on more campaign finance violations. New violations that could cause a full investigation of the OFA records. Fortunately, someone in the city clerk's office detected the date and filing manipulations, and required the re-submission of records with accurate and complete filing date stamps.
The Press Notification
Between September 1, 2009 and the December special election this reporter, as an Oceanside citizen, gave eight oral council presentation, with NCT and other reporters present, made more than a dozen phone calls to NCT Reporters, and sent dozens of e-mails with documentation to NCT reporters, and other news groups.
During that period:
1. The NCT was advised the OFA Union had falsified and manipulated their July 2009 Campaign Finance Records reporting to protect the fraudulent signature drive, and get a city council election approval, before the citizens discovered the fraud.
The NCT was told the supporting evidence was in the July - August CFR's for the OFA Union, the Kern Recall, the Committee to Preserve and Protect Parks And Beaches, and the Charles Lowery for Council records.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
2. The NCT was advised that the OFA Union had conspired with the Kern Recall Committee, and The Committee To Protect And Preserve Parks And Beaches, to falsify Campaign Finance Records (CFR), and hide the OFA financial control of the petition drive and the falsified advertising.
The Campaign Finance Record (CFR) falsification was later verified by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, based on the complaint, and documentation provide by GTI News Photo. FPPC Warning letters were issued to four officers of the Kern Recall Committee and the Parks And Beaches Committee, with copies to the San Diego District Attorneys Office for legal action review.
The violation complaints were buried by the DA's office and the Oceanside Police while opposition supporters like Eric LIdo were arrested and prosecuted.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
3. The NCT was advised the OFA Advertisements, being delivered and supported by the NCT advertisements, claiming the recall was started by "A group of senior residents, fearing eviction from their homes", WAS A FRAUD.
The OFA and the Kern Recall Campaign Finance Records for 2009 show that the OFA channeled over $193,000.00 through the Kern Recall Committed. There was only one (1) listed citizen contribution for $125.00, and the balance of the $193,000 plus came from the OFA Union. The OFA Union had collected all of the money from the Fire Fighters, the Police, and three other outside public unions. There was only one citizen listed, and we don't know if he was a senior, only that he was a Doctor, and probably not in fear of loosing his home. The other unions were United Here International Local 30, The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, and The Orange County Firefighters Union.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
KERN RECAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS (8 PARTS)
4.The NCT was advised that the OFA Advertisements, being delivered and supported by the NCT advertisements, claiming that, "A group of senior residents,....obtained 17,000 signatures", WAS A FRAUD.
A commercial company, The San Diego based La Jolla Group, specializing in signatures drives was fully paid for, by the OFA Union. There were no senior residents and the signatures were collected by the above company.
The Campaign Finance Records for the Kern Recall, and the Preservation Of Parks And Beaches committees were falsified to hide that money trail, while massive falsified advertising was distributed to confuse and contaminate the citizen voting pool. The money was channeled through five different committees to hide the trail.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
5. The NCT was advised that Oceanside Police arrests and District Attorney prosecutions, related to the Recall Election, were being controlled by who did or did not support the public union's Recall Of Kern.
Eric Lido, like many frustrated Oceanside citizens on both sides, was removing campaign signs from street edges and front yards. Lido got caught removing recall signs owned by the Police and Fire Unions, and was arrested for misdemeanor theft. After booking, the charges were upgraded to felony receiving stolen property because Mr. Lido had several of the signs in the rear of his pick-up. Oceanside Officials stated this was to send a message that tampering with an election would not be tolerated. No union supporters were caught stealing signs. Receiving stolen property is normally used to prosecute individuals that receive stolen property from a third part thief.
At the same time, Police and DA's were blocking all complaints filed against union supporters, even with hard evidence of Election fraud, conspiracy, and falsification of campaign finance records.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.
6. The NCT and other media was advised in November 2009, that a credible witness to the involvement of other Oceanside Police Officers, in the Officer Damon Smith Evidence Tampering investigation, was suppressed by the Oceanside Police and lead investigator DDA Laura Gunn of the District Attorney's Office.
The NCT reporters were give the witnesses name and contact information, and that the witness had information that would prove there had never been any real criminal investigation.
The NCT reporters were told that when criminal complaints were filed with DDA Damon Mosler, against DDA Laura Gunn, with the DA's Office and the Oceanside Police, DDA Gunn was quietly fired, and the complaint buried.
There was never any evidence of NCT, or any other news organization following up, investigating, or reporting.