First we learned that experienced politician, Carol Gamble, had to perjure herself in order to gather the relatively meager number of resident signatures necessary to put her name on the ballot. (Fortunately, despite DA Spitzer downplaying Gamble’s offense, she was beaten last month by the fine, popular reformist Keri Lyn Baert.) Now, we’ve learned that Ms. Gamble is not the only RSM elected that struggles with integrity.
Gamble’s close friend and confidant Tony Beall found it necessary to include the signature of his adult daughter, who apparently doesn’t even live in RSM, on his nomination papers in order to meet the minimum resident signature requirement. Aside from the concern that someone who has sat on the dais as long as Mr. Beall can’t collect 20 resident signatures without tapping a family member, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with having your daughter sign your nomination papers, so long as she is a current resident of RSM. But seriously Tony, do you have to lie about your children’s residency in order to adequately complete your paperwork? This is getting really embarrassing.
Yes, shortly after the election, we learned that our Mayor elect, Tony Beall, had to rely on his 34-year old daughter, an attorney who works out of an Irvine office and, according to her biographical information posted on her employer’s website, “resides in Newport.” So does Mr. Beall’s 34-year old daughter that practices law in Irvine still live in her RSM childhood home with mommy and daddy, thereby legitimizing her signature on Daddy Beall’s nomination paperwork? Or, is the information on her law firm’s website correct when it states that Tony Beall’s daughter is a resident of Newport Beach, thereby invalidating his paperwork?
We did learn from the Gamble case that we cannot rely on District Attorney Todd Spitzer to protect residents by fairly investigating and enforcing the laws, at least when it comes to Todd’s Republican friends. But one would have hoped that at least one of the Beall daddy/daughter lawyer duo would remember that as attorneys and officers of the court, they have a duty to act with honesty, integrity and candor.
What is to become of Rancho Santa Margarita as our electeds lapse back into corruption and wasteful government spending?
This wouldn’t matter if the dude had more than 20 valid siggies.
My answer to this one is the same as my answer to the last one, with elaborations:
If Spitzer won’t do his job (presuming that a remedy is still possible), then contact Bonta. If Bonta won’t do it, then there’s PAGA (Private Attorney General Act.). I don’t know whether this would be susceptible to a quo warranto challenge for eligibility to serve, though I know who would know. Finally, if Beall’s daughter was actually complicit in defrauding the Registrar as to her eligibility to sign, then the California Bar might want to know about that.
But seriously: Spitzer could just do his job. Much cleaner and easier.
As Zenger notes, its effect on Daddy Beall’s right to hold office does presume that she was the decisive 20th signature, as the story suggests but would need to be confirmed.
But if the two of them conspired to include her as an eligible signer when she wasn’t, then they have other legal problems. I think that the signature forms delivered to the Registrar should be susceptible to a Public Records Act request; we should be able to see who witnessed her signature (or pretended to). My guess is that it was the man himself.
“But if the two of them conspired to include her as an eligible signer when she wasn’t, then they have other legal problems.”
This is similar to the problem in Fullerton.
Scott Markowitz didn’t collect the signatures. Then who did? Whoever talked all those active Democrats into signing the nomination papers for an ostensible MAGA Republican, and convinced Markowitz to lie, suborned perjury, really an even worse offense than the offense committed likely naïf, Markowitz.
Markowitz should certainly roll on them; Beall’s daughter should do the same with her Dad or his agent.
I know Spitzer well. He will never pursue it any farther.
Beall’s daughter either committed fraud, or her parents forged her signature. That’s pretty pathetic for a 30 something attorney. I understand their even older son signed it as well, even though he lives in Idaho. Hopefully there is justice.
Shawn, you have always hated Tony.
Sad how much time you spend crying about him and other petty BS in RSM. You are a two-time loser candidate. What does that tell you? If I recall, each time you ran, you got less than 1500 votes.
actually I got about 5,000 votes and spent about $200 doing it compared to the $10k-$15k that Tony spent.
The fact that you don’t care about corrupt leadership is pretty concerning. If you knew everything that I knew, then you’d probably change your tune. It’s interesting that you use Carol’s catch phrase to refer to me.
Good lord, you lefties are a bunch of clowns. Beall won in a HUGE landslide. Nobody cares except you, crybabies.
The reason Spitzer didn’t charge Gambell was because she said she would resign her position even if she won re-election. She only lost to the left-wingnut because most of her supporters knew this and didn’t vote for either candidate in hopes of avoiding a costly special election.
The City of RSM is being inflated with libtard LA transplants. Please stay in LA. We don’t want you here. The City has been run very well for the past 25 years. This is a conservative city and always has been, so why are you lefties moving here? You always try and bring your stupid left-wing politics to places that don’t want them. Please stay out.
You are calling Shawn Gordon, Keri Lynn Baert, and the author of this piece “lefties?” LOL.
Only if the definition of conservative is kleptocrat.
And Keri got the vast majority of her votes long before the Gamble legal trouble ever came out. She won decisively due to her hard work and popularity, and she is a well-known honest conservative.
Show me where I called Shawn a lefty. I know who Shawn is and his political position. He’s anything but a lefty. He’s an agitator with a grudge against Beall.
The “author” of this hit piece is posting under an anonymous screen name, so I really don’t know, but the “commentary” would make one believe he/she is a lefty.
This “article” should have been written as “commentary.”
Baert won decisively? Give me a break. Gamble still got 44% even after she said she would resign if she won. I would call that a circumstantial win for Ms. Baert. Take away Gamble’s legal issues; the numbers would have been the opposite.
KERI LYNN BAERT 3,125 55.93%
CAROL GAMBLECAROL GAMBLE 2,462 44.07%
“Keri got the vast majority of her votes long before the Gamble legal trouble ever came out.”
I’m pretty sure Gamble’s legal issues were well-known well before the election, so how is that even possible?
I do hope our newest city Council member, since Jesse Petrilla,
doesn’t stir the pot where the pot doesn’t need stirring. Ask Jesse how that went. One and done.
Haver a good day.
Dude, most votes were cast already before anyone heard about Gamble “promising to resign” (a promise she could have easily broken). Do I need to look it up for you? This all came out a week before election day, and you’re suggesting 20% of votes could have been flipped? With those numbers, Keri was already winning.
I don’t know “what pots don’t need stirring” but I know Keri thinks RSM needs term limits, and from where I sit I think she’s right.
Mike, I have not always hated Tony. I use to be friends with him and his wife. The challenge was being at parties with him when they and Carol were drunk and started saying more than they should have. I kept that to myself when I ran against them the first time and got nearly 20% of the vote without spending much money at all. I let them know I was running, and I congratulated them on their wins, even going to city hall during the meeting to shake hands and do it in person. I was still keeping what I knew to myself, but then things got worse in the city and they started going after me because I’d dared to run against them. sending 3 different city agencies to my house, digging into my divorce records, and more. Of course they will deny it all, and that’s why I don’t really bring that part up other than the one time. There are many things you are unaware of.
Let’s just use Tony having his kids sign his nomination paperwork. These are adults in their 30s that haven’t lived at home in years. Why would you have them sign your nomination paperwork and keep their voter registration at home? That’s voter fraud. This is a simple and clear example.