The ‘Public’s Right to Know’ has come into question in the past regarding the disclosure of an anonymous donor to the County. I have and always will vote against the county accepting anonymous money because I believe we should strengthen transparency in government and remove the veil of secrecy that some use to buy political influence.
I’ve carried this philosophy throughout my career and I always act as an advocate for transparency. That’s why the politicians don’t want me to be DA – because I’ve got nothing to hide and I’m beholden to no one except the people of Orange County.
Orange County is not safe. Felons released early. Reckless “Sober” living “homes”. Vagrancy is everywhere!
Per the California Attorney General, crime is up: Rape (25%); Robbery (29%); Murder (8%); Assault (17%); Burglary (8%); Auto- theft (37%). Orange County has the highest stolen property rate in Southern California!
Voters trust me—Orange County Supervisor; California State Legislator; School Board Trustee; Reserve Police Officer; High School Teacher.
As a former Deputy District Attorney, I’ve prosecuted thousands of felonies: Hardcore-gangs, sex-offenders, human-trafficking, drunk drivers who kill, animal cruelty. Prosecutors voted me “Outstanding Prosecutor”. I’ve chaired 122 trials (92% conviction). As a former assistant District Attorney, I’ve managed line prosecutors.
I will end prosecutor malpractice like the “snitch scandal” in the Seal Beach massacre and “not guilty” verdicts of the homeless man beaten to death in Fullerton. Victims must get justice.
I’ll invest in early intervention, job training and address mental illness and addiction to stop repeat offenders. I opened Orange County’s first homeless shelter. I co-wrote landmark laws: Megan’s Law (sex offender’s residences on-line) and Marsy’s Law (victims’ rights). I secured millions to train students and teachers against Active Shooters.
Today elected officials are required to disclose sources of money because the public has a right to know. Anonymous donations cut against every other notion that protects this right. And sometimes there are abuses.
Elected Officials are subject to campaign donor contribution disclosure (Form 460 of the FPPC); Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700 of the FPPC); and must disclose when we solicit any donor to contribute to a charity or a non-profit, referred to as a “Behest Payment” request (Form 803 of the FPPC).
In other words, elected officials have a duty to report and disclose at every turn, as it should be. The public has a right to know if such contributions or donations are a conflict of interest or an attempt to have undue influence in the system.
My opponent, Tony Rackauckas, repeatedly cheats and games the system to prevent disclosure. That is why he is beholden to so many who have traded money to him or on his behalf as special interests.
Rackauckas isn’t transparent about his politics. Time and time again he’s failed to publicly report funds solicited from donors. Most recently, Rackauckas was caught red-handed violating “Behest Payment” laws for failing to disclose $190,000 in solicited funds to benefit him and was fined $21,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission. Some of those donors do business with the County and have benefitted from lucrative financial deals.
In another shady political move, Rackauckas omitted his Chief of Staff, Susan Kang Schroeder, as a necessary filer of the public conflict of interest statement (Form 700) for years, despite abundant clarity that Schroeder must disclose this information to the public based on her job classification. County Watchdog, Shirley Grindle, filed a complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission accusing Rackauckas of allowing Schroeder to use county money and equipment to promote a business venture outside of her government job (which was generally unknown to the public because she wasn’t filing the Statement of Economic Interests, Form 700). Schroeder was then forced to file years of amended statements retroactively, including an outside music business she co-owned with her partner who she headlined at multiple District Attorney events paid for with taxpayer resources.
I’m standing up to run for District Attorney because I am protecting the public’s right to know. We are all better off when everyone plays by the rules. Rackauckas thinks the rules are written for everybody else except him and his cronies.
I’ve carried this philosophy throughout my career, and I always act as an advocate for transparency.
No one is above the law. I’m running for DA because I believe the people of Orange County do have a right to know. I’ll always stand up for what is right regardless if it’s consistent with the politicians’ agendas.
After twenty years of this nonsense, it’s time to fire and retire my opponent.
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Supervisor Todd Spitzer has dedicated his life to keeping families safe and was inspired to dedicate his career to public service as an Orange County Supervisor and former California State Assembly Member. A champion for public safety, Supervisor Spitzer is recognized as an expert on security issues, whose reputation as an advocate for victims’ rights is respected nationally.
Supervisor Spitzer Chaired the ground-breaking campaign for Proposition 9, Marsy’s Law, the nation’s most comprehensive Victims’ Bill of Rights, and served as State-wide Co-Chair for Proposition 83, the nation’s toughest sex offender punishment and control law as well as Proposition 69, which requires the collection of DNA samples from all felons. Fighting to protect our community, he joint -authored Megan’s Law on the Internet, the landmark legislation requiring the release of public information related to sex offenders and as a former deputy and assistant district attorney he handled complex criminal matters while managing line prosecutors. As Third District Supervisor, he secured Orange County’s first year-round, supportive housing shelter for the homeless, established an Ethics Commission, gained passage of pension reform measures and strengthened public safety oversight by expanding the Office of Independent Review.
Spitzer earned his Bachelor’s degree from UCLA (1982), a Master’s degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley (1989), and a Law Degree from UC Hastings School of Law (1989). While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, for the law student dedicating his career to public service.
Spitzer is a former high school teacher and reserve police officer
assigned to DUI enforcement and patrol duties. He is a doting father of a son and daughter and a dedicated husband to Judge Jamie Spitzer, Presiding Judge of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
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