Contra Costa DA Candidate Accuses Rival of Illegal Fundraising

When a Contra Costa prosecutor and District Attorney candidate this morning accused a fellow contender of illegally soliciting dollars from deputy DAs, he tried to bolster his accusations with Facebook — which can be an all-around handy evidence tool (whether it’s used to snoop on your cheating girlfriend or otherwise).

In his e-mail to the press this morning, Mark Peterson attached a Facebook-sourced photographic assembly (.pdf) of pretty-tame-looking handshaking and general campaign posing going on at a Jan. 14 campaign event for Dan O’Malley, where Peterson is saying O’Malley unlawfully asked employees of the District Attorney’s Office to donate $200 or $500, depending on their position. He also attached a screen capture of the e-vite to the O’Malley fundraiser (.pdf).

Event organizers told The Contra Costa Times that Peterson’s accusations are false, and O’Malley said that the event was organized without his knowledge, and that he told the organizers he didn’t want money from the deputy DAs. O’Malley told the paper that Peterson is “spinning facts because I'm a political threat to him.”

Peterson is asking Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate. A spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office said today that they’re still reviewing the complaint.

— Kate Moser

Comments

[Steve White]

Is it really credible that O'Malley did not know about a fundraiser organized by a Contra Costa DA, and publicized by email to all the staff in the office? If that is the legal crux of the issue, whether O'Malley knew about it or not, then O'Malley can make a formal statement to the AG's office regarding the investigation they are undedtaking, and release that statement to the public contermporaneously, rather than making legally irrelevant denials in the press. I don't know anything about Dan O'Malley, but I've caught his sister lying to the press numerous times, (Google up "Nancy O'Malley" and "Alameda County Family Justice Center" and you should find my postings) and the truth is, the apple usually falls close to the tree.

[Steve White]

Another quick comment, not everyone knows that O'Malley's father was both the District Attorney and the Presiding Judge of Contra Costa County. I think this extremely privileged position has resulted in the kids being arrogant about lying to the press, or being loose about the law. They are just to used to being able to do what they want, most likely.