The Republicans have fallen apart again in Irvine, just in time for the upcoming election. Today, according to the OC Weekly, Irvine Councilmember Christina Shea fired leading Republican challenger Jeff Lalloway as her City Finance Commissioner, allegedly because she was upset that he sent out a mailer insinuating that he is the only GOP-endorsed candidate. There are two other Republicans endorsed by the OC GOP – Chris Gonzalez, a candidate for Mayor; and Lynn Schott, a candidate for the Irvine City Council.
Lalloway has been working with Gonzalez all along, so I don’t buy Shea’s story. I think she is actually upset over the allegations that surfaced last week in a mailer and online about Lalloway’s past.
Agran ally Dan Chmielewski wrote this about the attack on his Liberal OC blog:
The website www.caseagainstjeff.com claims Jeff Lalloway defaulted on student loans to the tune of $2,000 to a Philadephia woman and owes $62,000 to the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority. The site says New Jersey officials filed court documents stating that Lalloway “concealed his whereabouts or by other means obstructed or prevented service of the judgment against him.” The mailer says the sheriff of Philadelphia County was authorized by the courts to seize and sell all contents of the defendent’s residence. The filings are between 13 and 23 years old.
This is of course a disaster for Lalloway. But it is also an opportunity for Chris Moore, a student, and Republican, who is also running for the Irvine City Council this year. We will have Moore on our Orange Juice Blog Radio show this Wednesday night, at 7 pm.
What does this all mean? I guess congratulations should be in order for Irvine Council candidate Larry Agran and his team…
UPDATE:
Lalloway has responded to Shea’s actions with this statement:
I have no intention of resigning and abandoning my mission of uncovering wasteful spending at City Hall.
Christina Shea is so desperate to hold on to power after decades in public office that she is willing to disparage me, her own Finance Commissioner.
Shea’s habit of accepting money from public employee unions and the voting on big pay increases and pension spikes finally caught up with her when I exposed it.
I started asking tough questions about her spending. Shea could not defend the $700 a month car allowance she takes from the taxpayers.
Apparently, I got too close for comfort.
I am proud to be a Republican but I will not let party registration get in the way of doing my job as Irvine Finance Commissioner. Christina Shea has taken tens of thousands in taxpayer funded subsidies (her $700+ a month car allowance is just one example). Shea has taken money from public employee unions and then voted to increase their salaries and spike their pensions.
When I uncovered these facts, Shea threatened to remove me in order to end my investigation.
I fully support the Republican ticket from Meg Whitman for governor to Congressman John Campbell and here on the local level too. But I will not campaign side-by-side with candidates who do not share my values of limiting the size and scope of government and individual property rights.
Jeff Lalloway
“New Leadership for Irvine’s Future”
(949) 622-5445
www.LallowayforIrvine2010.com
LarryAgranARRESTED.com