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“It is an American oligarchy,” Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration.
But it’s California’s Democrat elite who much more closely resemble an oligarchy. Take Gov. Newsom, the son of Judge William Alfred Newsom III a friend and lawyer of the Getty clan, whose father Newsom II had been a crooked political machine man who financed and ran future Gov. Pat Brown’s campaign. Gov. Pat Brown held down two terms in office. His son, Gov. Jerry Brown also held two terms and his daughter, Kathleen Brown became the State Treasurer.
Newsom II’s daughter, Barbara Newsom-Pelosi, married Ron Pelosi, the brother of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for twelve years. Newsom III, Gavin’s dad, and Ron Pelosi both ran for state senate. And Rep. Nancy Pelosi is the daughter of Thomas D’Alesandro Jr, a congressman and the 41st mayor of Baltimore and the sister of Thomas D’Alesandro III, the 44th mayor of Baltimore.
The Newsom-Pelosi families made a good deal of their money from a crooked arrangement with Gov. Pat Brown’s administration in which Newsom II and John Pelosi, Nancy’s father-in-law, partnered together on a former 1960 Winter Olympics site that was summed up as California
“paying for everything and getting nothing.” Pat’s son Jerry then appointed Gavin’s father to a judgeship and Gavin later replaced Brown as governor of California.
Democracy might be the formal identity of the state’s political system and the party that dominates it, but it’s as inappropriate a term when applied to California politics as it is when applied to North Korea. California isn’t a democracy: it’s much more aptly an oligarchy.
The convoluted relationship of the Newsom and Pelosi families is all too typical in California and is filled with enough drama to make up a dozen seasons of a Mexican soap opera.
Take the Calderon family. Assemblyman Tom Calderon passed the seat on to his brother Ron. Sen. Ron Calderon later joined his brother Sen. Charles Calderon, a former assemblyman who became a state senator, in the state senate. Ron and Tom were busted by the FBI on various bribery charges. Former Sen. Charles Calderson’s son Ian then served in the State Assembly. He was in turn replaced by Charles’ wife, Lisa Calderson, and Ian’s stepmother, who had formerly worked for Willie Brown.
Sen. Ron Calderson, who had formerly chaired the Senate Insurance Commission, was replaced by Sen. Susan Rubio, a former illegal alien also reportedly also under federal investigation. Susan used to be married to former Assemblyman Roger Hernandez. Then Susan accused Roger of domestic abuse and while his political career collapsed, in a move worthy of the Borgias, her sister, Blanca, stepped cooly and neatly into Roger’s old seat.
Former State Sen. Mark Ridley Thomas, a Mayor Karen Bass crony, was found guilty in a bribery and fraud scheme on behalf of his son, former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas who had been forced to resign after sexual harassment complaints.
“Yes, having a parent can help significantly open doors, but you have to be able to walk through those doors,” Sebastian Ridley-Thomas had claimed.
By some estimates, 10% of California’s legislators are family members of other legislators so it seems as if quite a few sons, daughters and spouses (Assemblywoman Mia Bonta is the wife of Attorney General Rob Bonta who was a former member of the Assembly), not to mention sisters and brothers, nephews and nieces, along with sons-in-law keep walking through that open door.
Take State Sen. Dave Cortese who is the son of Assemblyman Dominic Cortese.
Or take the Papan and Mullin families in San Francisco. After the district was held by Assemblyman Lou Papan ‘the Dean of the Assembly’ and Assemblyman Gene Mullin, the district went to Kevin Mullin, Gene’s son, who was then succeeded by Diane Papan, Lou’s daughter. This is a level of political incest that the Hapsburghs might have been ashamed of.
Then head on over to Fresno where Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, the son of Assemblyman Juan Arambula who held the same district, survived a trial on charges of wilful cruelty to a child. Arambula II had replaced Assemblyman Henry Perea whose father Henry R. Perea was a member of Fresno’s Board of Supervisors.
Last year, a local news outlet celebrated the fact that three members of Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s family were running for various offices. “Four Valley Siblings Running for Office. Are the Sorias a California Political Dynasty in the Making?” the headline cheered, claiming that the Sorias are “living the American Dream.” This seems less like the American Dream and more like the California of the old Dons dominated by powerful clans.
California Democrats don’t have a democracy, from the top on down, they have an oligarchy run by clans with longstanding relationships where family members rise to political power. Or as the Los Angeles Times summed up the transition from Gov. Jerry Brown to Gov. Gavin Newsom, “Brown and Newsom are members of a political fraternity that dominated their shared hometown of San Francisco for much of the 20th century.”
And as the Pelosi and Newsom clans remind us, California’s oligarchy doesn’t stay in California.
Some may remember the pre-9/11 scandal that engulfed Congressman Gary Condit over the disappearance of an intern he had been having an affair with. While Rep. Gary Condit’s career ended, his son Chad ran unsuccessfully for office, a number of his grandsons have gone into politics, and his son-in-law Rep. Adam Gray is now in Congress. Sometimes having a different last name helps.
No amount of scandals or sleaze stops California’s political clans. They may skip a generation, but they always rebound because their power comes from powerful families, not the people.
What does California’s future hold? Almost certainly more incestuous political oligarchy.
And the ultimate pureblooded dynastic heir of California oligarchy may be California Speaker Pro Tempore Josh Lowenthal. Josh’s father, Alan Lowenthal was the former assembly member, state senator and Congressman Alan Lowenthal, while his mother was Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal. With that kind of pedigree, whoever his children are, they will inherit California.
Unless a Newsom or a Pelosi gets in there first.
The Corrupt California series chronicles the misconduct, mismanagement and radical politics of the most broken state in the country. Stay tuned for more articles in the series. Previous articles below:
[1] L.A. Raises Sales Tax to 11% Over Stolen ‘Homeless’ Billions: CLICK HERE.
[2] California Dems Fight Trump While State Burns: CLICK HERE.
[3] Ex-Illegal Alien Senator Suspected of Bribery Leads California’s Insurance: CLICK HERE.
[4] Company That May Have Started L.A. Fires Donated Millions to Dems: CLICK HERE.
[5] California’s Legislature Hides FBI Investigations in the “Public Interest” CLICK HERE.
[6] An Assassination Has Ties to California’s Political Elite: CLICK HERE.
[7] California’s Most Corrupt Congressman Wants to ‘Drain the Swamp’: CLICK HERE.
[8] California Doubles Fine on White Drivers: CLICK HERE.
[9] Gov. Newsom’s $750M Gift to Hollywood Donors: CLICK HERE.
[10] Sex Abuse Settlements Bankrupt Democrat States: CLICK HERE.
[11] L.A. Raises Sales Tax to 11% Over Stolen ‘Homeless’ Billions: CLICK HERE.
[12] Gov. Newsom Gave $1.7M to Drag Queens That Targets Kids: CLICK HERE.
[13] Gov. Newsom Pitches Presidential Bid to Hollywood Donors With $7.5B Tax Credit: CLICK HERE.
[14] How Gov. Gavin Newsom Killed 30 People: CLICK HERE.