A Riverside County lawmaker said Thursday that he’s filed a legislative ethics complaint, requesting that the state Assembly and Senate open an investigation to identify the unnamed legislator mentioned in documents connected to a federal bribery scheme and determine whether and how many ethics violations the person may have committed.
“A member of the California Legislature has been accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of soliciting and accepting bribes up to $200,000,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Norco, said. “Although this person’s name has not been made public, I am calling on our Legislature to immediately initiate an investigation to determine who this person is, and to take the appropriate actions if it’s determined they, in fact, did engage in unlawful conduct.”
Essayli, a former federal prosecutor, said the episode reflects the “rotten culture of corruption in Sacramento,” and he called on Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, and Speaker Pro Tem of the Senate Mike McGuire, D-Eureka, to direct the Assembly and Senate ethics committees to examine whether there were violations of the California Government Code, mainly provisions that comprise the Code of Legislative Ethics.
“It’s unacceptable for legislators to financially benefit from abusing their powers, while everyday Californians are struggling just to survive under the current Democrat regime,” the assemblyman said. “We need major reforms and accountability for our state elected officials.”
Essayli’s complaint is based on revelations that came to light after a plea agreement between former Baldwin Park City Attorney Robert Manuel Nacionales Tafoya and federal prosecutors was unsealed last week.
Tafoya, 62, of Redondo Beach pleaded guilty to federal bribery and tax evasion charges. He reached a pretrial agreement at the same time former city of Commerce City Manager Edgar Cisneros, 42, of Montebello entered into one, pleading guilty to federal bribery.
“Within the agreement, the U.S. Department of Justice describes in detail a `Bribery Scheme Involving Person 20,”’ according to Essayli. “`Person 20′ is described as an unindicted co-conspirator, who received $30,000 in illegal cash payments to his or her campaign for state elected office, and was subsequently successful in being elected to the Legislature. `Person 20′ is also accused of soliciting a bribe payment in the amount of $200,000 to secure a marijuana dispensary permit from Baldwin Park.”
Essayli said that regardless of the lack of identification, “there is sufficient information contained within the record to warrant an immediate investigation by the Assembly and Senate ethics committees.”
According to federal prosecutors, Cisneros helped a company obtain a marijuana permit and related approvals through about $45,000 in bribes, and the company promised to pay Cisneros at least $235,000 to help secure the permit.
Tafoya facilitated a separate bribery scheme involving former Compton City Councilman Isaac Galvan, in which Galvan sought to obtain a marijuana permit for his consulting client through bribes to then-Baldwin Park City Councilman Ricardo Pacheco. Tafoya further admitted to evading payment of about $650,000 in federal tax liability, according to court documents.