I Can’t Stand That No One’s Running Against Tony Rackauckas — So I’ll Do It

[I just made an announcement on Facebook, so while I’d planned to spend a few hours today polishing my campaign announcement, I’ll just go ahead and reproduce that statement here.  More posts, detailing my qualifications, my plans, and why I think that Tony Rackauckas needs to be replaced, will be forthcoming in the days and weeks ahead.  For now — here it goes.  You’ll pardon me, I hope, but anonymous comments on this post will be trashed.  Anyone who wants to challenge me in comments under their own name — don’t worry, unlike some people it’s not like I can retaliate against you — is welcome to do so.  — GAD]

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Greg Diamond, not all THAT many years ago.

I just made my announcement this morning to Los Amigos and have now been interviewed by Martin Wisckol of the Orange County Register, so the cat is apparently out of the bag: I will be running against Tony Rackauckas — who hasn’t had a challenger since 2002 — for Orange County District Attorney. I’m prompted to do so in part because apparently not one other attorney in our county of over 3,000,000 Californians is willing to take him on — or, if they are, they’ve waited too long to stave off my campaign. And DA Rackauckas desperately needs an opponent. I deeply want to vote against him myself — but that requires that another name be on the ballot!

Someone needs to make the case for better government. I’m qualified, and I’m humble enough NOT to take on a high-profile murder/manslaughter trial myself when I’m supervising an office full of highly qualified Deputy DAs are available to do it, so it turns out that it will have to be me.

Fair notice to all of my wealthy attorney (and in some cases academic or other) friends: I’m going to be hitting you up for donations this week and next. By March 7, I’ll need $30,000 in hand if I am to file a ballot statement in the Voter Guide, in which I’ll make a pitch for a smart and principled and scientifically validated approach to prosecution and punishment. I would be honored to give you the chance to live through me vicariously for the next few months, so look for my e-mails and reply quicky. (As I just made this decision last Friday, a website and a PayPal link are … let’s say “still under development.”) Until then, I’m not soliciting donations wholesale — though, if you just can’t wait to donate, you’re welcome to contact me first!

You are welcome to share this post as widely as you wish. Win or lose, I’ll make an aggressive case against corruption — that alone will help to shake things up in OC. I’m eager to begin. I hope that you’re eager to join me.


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)