Consistent with The Leslie Brodie Report commitment to integrity and adherence to the highest level of ethical journalism, and in order to report on both sides of a story; Ruthe Catolico Ashley (AKA Ruthe Ashley) of Rocklin, California — former executive director of CaliforniaALL is hereby asked by The Leslie Brodie Report to comment on the appearance that at least part of the sub-rosa $774, 247 misappropriated from the California Bar Foundation was laundered through CaliforniaALL on its way to the election campaign of Barack Obama courtesy of Tony West and Chris Young.
Mr. Chris Young of Keker & Van Nest. During the 2008 election, while employed as an associate with Morrison & Foerster, Chris Young served as Barack Obama’s Northern California Deputy Finance Director and as National Campaign’s Northern California representative. USDOJ’s Tony West (also of Morrison & Foerster) served as Co-Chair, California Finance Cmt. Recently, Keker & Van Nest abruptly removed Young’s name from the roll of lawyers associated with the firm. Similar to Tony West, Young is under scrutiny in connection with events surrounding both Lance Armstrong and sham non-profit entity CaliforniaALL.
Mr. James J. Bronsnahan of Morrison & Foerster: “I was suddenly elevated from an infrequent contributor to Democratic politicians to being the mastermind behind the Democratic Party.”
Morrison & Foerster Team (L-R) Ms. Dian Grueneich — Former Commissioner with California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”); Mr. Raj Chatterjee — current board member of the Foundation of State Bar of California (DBA California Bar Foundation, entity headed by Arnold & Porter’s Douglas Winthrop formerly of Howard Rice which represented PG&E ; Ms. Susan Mac Cormac — part of MoFo’s legal team which created CaliforniaALL. Mr. Tony West – a “mentee” of Willie Brown and CaliforniaALL’s Kamala Harris brother-in-law; Mr. James J. Brosnahan — original member of the BOD at Joe Dunn’s Voice of OC. Brosnahan represented El Paso Corp during California Energy Crisis opposing Pierce O’Donnell, Joe Cotchett, and Thomas Girardi who also served as original BOD member at Joe Dunn’s Voice of OC, alongside Martha Escutia. Ms. Annette Carnegie, formerly member of the board of California Bar Foundation during the Hush-Hush subrosa transfer of $780,000 to CaliforniaALL; Ms. Diane Pritchard who practiced extensively before the CPUC while at MoFo.
Mr. Derek Anthony West (AKA Tony West) Acting Associate Attorney General, the third highest official at the United States Department of Justice. He joined Morrison & Foerster in 2001. While at MoFo, West represented “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh alongside partners James Brosnahan and Raj Chatterjee. West’s sister-in-law — Ms. Kamala Harris — is the California attorney general who was part of sham non-profit entity CaliforniaALL.
Above (L-R) Mr. David Werdegar of IOA; State Bar of California BOG Member Jeannine English; Mr. Thomas Girardi of embattled Voice of OC; Executive Director of State Bar of California Joe Dunn of embattled Voice of OC; California Supreme Court Associate Justice Hon. Kathryn Werdegar; really special prosecutor in matter of In Re Girardi and controversial judicial aspirant Prof. Rory Little; controversial gambling attorney Howard Dickstein (spouse of Jeannine English and a client of Keker & Van Nest), MoFo’s James Brosnahan of embattled Voice of OC; Keker & Van Nest partner Matthew Werdegar – son of David and Kathryn Werdegar; Keker & Van Nest partner Jan Little (spouse of Rory Little); Keker & Van Nest partner Elliot Peters — attorney for Howard Dickstein; California Democratic Party operative and mentor to Willie Brown’s former paramour — Mr. John Keker; Keker & Van Nest partner, attorney for Howard Dickstein, controversial judicial aspirant, and President of the State Bar of California — Mr. Jon Streeter. (Image:courtesy photo)
In 2008, California Bar Foundation quietly transferred $769,247.00 to CaliforniaALL. CaliforniaALL never acknowledged receipt of the $769,247.00 from the Cal Bar Foundation in any of its publications, although it did acknowledge the transfer on its IRS tax returns. Likewise, California Bar Foundation never acknowledged the largest grant it ever bestowed in its newsroom, the California Bar Journal, or similar publications; it did, however, recognize the transfer on its IRS returns, and in a 2 by 2 inch blurb in its annual report.
See below Cal Bar Foundation newsroom which makes no mention of the subrosa transfer of funds.
In 2008, serving as President of the Foundation was Mario Camara. A joint letter published and signed by Camara and Hatamiya also made no mention of the hush-hush transfer. Wasn’t Mr. Camara proud of it, just like he was proud of other money which went to support “pipelines?” After all, CaliforniaALL was also intended to support “pipelines”. See below:
Below an image taken from CaliforniaALL own newsletter which alludes to the fact that the State Bar of California is a “Founding Partner” of CaliforniaALL. Stingy with credit and despite the transfer of close to $780,000 from the California Bar Foundation to CaliforniaALL, only utility companies are listed as “Founding Funders.” See below:
Serving on the board of directors of CaliforniaALL (which was in a partnership relationship with the State Bar of California) were State Bar employee Patricia Lee, Kamala Harris, CPUC Commissioner Timothy Simon, as well as Judy Johnson. See below:
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