I wrote yesterday about Team Trung Nguyen’s complaint to Attorney General Jerry Brown about Supervisor Janet Nguyen, alleging perjury. I should note that there was also a new complaint filed yesterday with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, alleging that the money from the illegal legal defense was not returned as it should have been.
Click below for a list of the legal matters pending against Janet and for the response from Phil Greer, Janet’s attorney. He says he has indeed made good on those bounced checks.
– Martin Wisckol
I haven’t gotten anything but Greer’s answering machine, but here’s the e-mail response he sent me this morning:
“My office received three checks for Supervisor Nguyen’s legal defense fund. After an extensive review of conflicting law, we decided, in an abundance of caution, to return the checks. When my office withdrew those funds, it created a negative balance of $12,500 in the operating account from which they were drawn. Normally, my credit line would cover the overages. Unfortunately, at the same time the refund checks hit the bank, other checks related to my business arrived at the bank and, for a few days, I was over my credit limit, something that I was not aware of at the time. When the situation was discovered, the returned check was replaced and re-tendered. Since I believed this to be a minor ministerial/clerical activity, especially in light of the fact that the campaign had acknowledged the issue, had accepted responsibly for it and had taken steps to resolve it, I took it upon myself to rectify the situation. I did not see the need to bother Supervisor Nguyen with a simply clerical error. As such, Supervisor knew nothing about this matter.”
Here’s the list of pending legal actions against Janet:
1. Team Trung is challenging the outcome of the election, in which a judge determined that Janet won by three votes.
2. There’s an FPPC complaint about the three contributions that went to Greer’s office account, which is law does not permit. Janet and Greer have acknowledged the illegally, and have said the money was returned (these are the check or checks that bounced).
3. There’s an FPPC complaint alleging that there were more than the three improper contribution to Greer.
4. There’s yesterday’s FPPC complaint alleging that the money has still not been returned.
5. There’s yesterday’s AG complaint alleging perjury.
Is that all? Don’t count on it. Among other things, Team Trung could still file civil suits against Janet.
– Martin Wisckol
It’s a simple question.
Who asked for the money? Janet Nguyen.
Did the donors receive their money back? No.
Then she is legally responsible for their money until they receive it. She is also violating law until it’s resolved.
It doesn’t matter how her agent, Phil Greer, acted. It’s her responsibility.