Name: And the Dark Money shenanigans continue
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And the Dark Money shenanigans continue

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                                Once again, Riverside County reporter Janet Wilson has enlightened us on&nbsp;more&nbsp;dark money.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This time it is seemingly not linked to the independent political action committee (PAC) which was created for the March 5, 2024, election cycle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Named&nbsp;Economic&nbsp;Prosperity for&nbsp;Imperial&nbsp;County (EPIC), the PAC funded mailers for Supervisors races for Raul Navarro, Peggy Price, and Martha Cardenas Singh.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wilson tracked the EPIC PAC funding to Erik Ortega, the current IVC Trustee. The current story (https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/05/03/buy-a-supervisor-website-latest-dark-money-tactic-in-imperial-county/73529231007/) is even more “bizarre”, a term used by Wilson and I totally agree. &nbsp;The new dark money was used to create a new website called "BuyASupervisor.com" funded by an anonymous organization, ironically named Transparent IV Project, which is promoting it on billboards across the county. The electronic billboards average over $1700 each for one month.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, about 1,300 of the approximately 2,200 County of Imperial employees received an email in their work accounts from the same organization with a link to the site.&nbsp;&nbsp;The email advised of whistleblower tips about elected and appointed senior county officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;The initial target of the website is recently re-elected District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley. Statements made on the website indicate he is beholding to "wealthy agricultural families, businesses, and related industries, including a lithium company."&nbsp;&nbsp;A link to the form 460 filed in February for his expenses and donations was provided.&nbsp;The website also used language from the California Fair Political Practice about the rules for financial disclosure—with one change to each of the rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Failure” was changed to “Failed” leading a naïve reader to believe that Kelley and his wife who was his campaign treasurer has failed each of the rules. Wilson found no FPPC filings for Kelley. However, as reported by a local paper&nbsp;Kelley had Fair Political Practices Commission complaints filed against him over his position opposing Assembly Bill 918 in light of his relationship with Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kelley was an employee of PMHD until May 2023 when he resigned.&nbsp;&nbsp;Previously he had been an employee of ECRMC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kelley has been vocal about his opposition to AB 918 which has irritated its supporters including some of the current ECRMC board members and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia. The only current FPPC fine for any elected Imperial County official is that for El Centro City Council and ECRMC Trustee Edgard Garcia.&nbsp;&nbsp;City Council member Garcia, a lawyer, was fined for failure to timely file pre-election campaign statements and 24-hour reports in his two unsuccessfully campaigns, the first for&nbsp;Imperial County District Attorney in June 2022 and the more recent District 36 State Assembly this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Garcia’s treasurer in both races was his wife Arezoo Garcia. The fines totaled&nbsp;$7,959 for 17 counts of election violations.The concern many have expressed about the BuyASupervisor website is the emails to the county employees.&nbsp;&nbsp;How were so many of their work-related emails obtained?&nbsp;&nbsp;In the spring of 2019, Imperial County experienced a ransomware attack that crippled the County for several days.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since then, cybersecurity has been enhanced. Was access to the emails due to a hacker or did an employee with access to the email addresses provide them to the “dark money” group at price?As I asked earlier, who is behind this dark money?&nbsp;&nbsp;Through Wilson’s excellent investigative work, we can link EPIC and the myriad of mailers to three companies 1) Border Group, 2) Value Auto Services, and 3) OTG.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each of these three companies is linked to Erik Ortega.&nbsp;&nbsp;Is he also behind the new website?&nbsp;&nbsp;Wilson’s reports that “The BuyASupervisor.com domain was created on April 13 by a Tempe, Arizona-based company, Domains By Proxy LLC, that allows people to make websites without revealing their identities.” So this website is truly intended to be from “dark” money.&nbsp;I must note that while this website was being created as a hit piece on Supervisor Ryan Kelley, Kelley was in Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Anaheim promoting Lithium Valley and securing funding and projects to better the County.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those behind the dark money do not seem to have the best interest of the County in their hearts or minds.&nbsp;The continuing and increasing use of dark money should be a focus of those of us who want a better community.&nbsp;&nbsp;The mysteries are increasing. &nbsp;Is Ortega’s medical transportation business garnering so much money that he can write checks to campaigns to support his friend’s sister and others while attempting to defame another candidate?&nbsp;&nbsp;Does he have two homes in Imperial County?&nbsp;&nbsp;Now the new website joins the growing list.&nbsp;&nbsp;And of course, the biggest mystery of all is the $250,000 bribe offered to Martha Cardenas Singh’s&nbsp;opponent Diahna Ruiz-Garcia.&nbsp;&nbsp;Only Ruiz-Garcia can solve that one.&nbsp;We hope that Wilson can continue to unravel these mysteries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, those behind them could simply stop the shenanigans and hubris antics.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am not holding my breathe for that to happen. &nbsp;&nbsp;Signed,Rudy Lopez
                                
                                



                                
                                
                                
                                Once again, Riverside County reporter Janet Wilson has enlightened us on&nbsp;more&nbsp;dark money.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This time it is seemingly not linked to the independent political action committee (PAC) which was created for the March 5, 2024, election cycle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Named&nbsp;Economic&nbsp;Prosperity for&nbsp;Imperial&nbsp;County (EPIC), the PAC funded mailers for Supervisors races for Raul Navarro, Peggy Price, and Martha Cardenas...

And the Dark Money shenanigans continue

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