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Who leaked the Duvall tape?
September 10th, 2009, 12:53 pm · 50 Comments · posted by BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento Correspondent
From the moment word broke about the tape of Mike Duvall bragging about his apparent sexual escapades, it was clear to political insiders that someone had leaked it to the media.
Duvall’s explicit comments come towards the end of a 48-minute hearing that was held at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. The video is available online, but if you’ve watched it, the audio is less than stellar. Unless you knew what you were looking for, you might glaze right past it.
In other words, this is not something you could just stumble upon. Someone would have to tip you off to it.
And indeed, the story was broken Tuesday night by not one but two media outlets. It could be a coincidence, or KCAL-TV and the OC Weekly could have been working together. But it sure looks like they were both tipped off to the same thing.
So who did it? We may never know for sure, but the Capitol buzz and some evidence points to Orange County Assemblyman Jeff Miller and Republican Party insider and OC blogger Jon Fleischman.
Miller, a Republican out of Corona who also represents part of Orange County, is the lawmaker Duvall is bragging to on the tape. Many in the Capitol speculate that Miller reached over and turned on Duvall’s microphone while they were chatting. And in fact, Miller’s face is fuzzed out in the KCAL-TV report “to protect our sources.”
Miller’s office also confirmed to the Orange County Register on Wednesday that it had obtained a tape of the July 8 Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing where Duvall made his comments long before the story broke. And today, Miller was removed from the Legislative Ethics Committee that is investigating the Duvall matter because he was part of the conversation being investigated.
Miller, however, “absolutely” denies the he had anything to do with leaking the tape. His chief of staff, Brandon Powers, said he didn’t know off hand why their office requested the tape, but said they routinely get copies of every hearing Miller is involved in.
Powers, however, used to write for Fleischman’s blog, the Flash Report, and Fleischman, despite his position as a vice chairman of the California Republican Party, admits he is not friendly with Duvall.
On Tuesday night, shortly after the KCAL-TV and OC Weekly reports broke, the Flash Report sent out an e-mail alerting readers to the scandal. For a blog that’s often updated late in the morning, it was uncharacteristically on the ball, almost as though Fleischman knew the stories were coming.
Fleischman, however, staunchly denies he had anything to do with the leak as well.
“I live for the scoop,” he said, noting that he would have just as soon broken the story on his Web site. “I wish I had had the information because that would be great information to have,” he said.
Speculation in the Capitol continues to center on Miller and Fleischman, although in fairness, a few other names have been mentioned here and there, including talk that another lover of one of the women Duvall bragged about may have been jealous.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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Would it matter-at least we can be thankful for getting rid of this vermin Duvall -who was double dipping his lobbyists then going home to his wife and kids.
He should do well in his new line of work- Designing Women’s EyePatch Underwear and starting a porno spanking site.
I think it does matter a little bit how it leaked. If Miller did not leak it, I think he owes his constituents and really all citizens of the state an explanation. Why would he not turn him in for violating obvious ethics rules and laws, not to mention the obvious violation of his family’s trust.
If Miller did not leak this, it shows exactly the kind of cowards and unethical people we have in the Republican Party. Other articles have reported that multiple legislators have indicated that Duvall bragged about his sexual affairs to them as well. Why did none of them turn him in? Perhaps because they are more loyal to their party than to the people they supposedly represent.
They do cover their brothers in crime so very well, it wouldn’t be a surprise, I would think Mark Sanford shared his new found soul mate in Argentina with his friends on that hiking trail. Good point-well taken.
Fleshboy, Carona and KCALs Dave Lopez have been friends since the Carona saga started. Lopez would put anything Carona wanted on the news regardless of it being valid…Be wary anytime you hear of Jon Fleischman.
Who cares how it was leaked ..i wish all of this stuff was leaked. The bottom line is he’s a meathead and deserves what he gets
I agree 100 %. He’s an elected official who held himself out as a family values pol in order to get that job.
Leaked is good. We need more “leakers”. Keep them coming people. It will help us clean up the trash that is in every area of government, business, etc. It will also save wives/husbands from their cheating spouses!!
now if only the media was as “on the ball” Re: Obama.
What ….. Regarding Obama ??
That he is an African American man that is THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD? I think that is the point they are trying to get at with a comment like that.
So true, but they worship him. Why, I can’t figure out. I understand Obama has a really bad temper. That would be great to catch on film.
Millers COS Brandon Powers leaked it. hes a sneaky guy like that and a close friend of Fleishman.
Wow - what headline
Really - someone leaked it? Are you sure it didn’t walk out on his own an do the media?
And who cares - all it matters is that slime bugs like that get exposed
Please give the person that leaked this a nice fat check and a pony for their stellar effort for exposing a criminal. When do the proceedings begin. Trading sex for legislation…what a great guy.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I wonder whose family’s values he was talking about (apparently not his). All his hate is coming home to roost. And — criminal indictments for Spanky and her energy firm, I’m thinking.
Turn everyone’s Microphone ON..
their is More Dirty out there then we all know…
He just got Caught….
GOOD!
Oh man — just read the transcript. Seems like Mikey and Spanky did it without protection — and bringing some of that home to his wife, we assume. And — if she got pregnant — I think we know that she’s off to Family Planning while he continues his anti-abortion piety, too. What a guy!
My children will become Conservative Republicans with Family value when they grow up in Orange County.
Now Miller is going to play the hero instead of the co-villain? Interesting. I bet they were up all night trying to figure out a strategy to put a positive slant on the story since it sure didn’t look good for him. It’s called damage control. And politicians are masters at it.
I have an uncle who lives in Omaha– he has a doublewide! OOOga OOOOGHa all the live long day.
Brian: What you call a leak we at the Weekly call “all in a day’s work.” Maybe you can beat us next time…
Yes yes, right alongside all the rest of your cage-liner quality material.
Awesome Gustavo! Keep it coming at the Weekly! Even us conservatives eat that stuff up.
A pro-family values California Republican lawmaker Mike Duvall cared so much about people and crisis in CA, who resigned after being caught on tape boasting about his sexual conquests denied that he had extramarital affairs, saying that “my offense was engaging in inappropriate storytelling.” Former lawmaker Mike Duvall denies affairs, despite videotaped tales. Conservative
Repulican Duvall said that his “decision to resign is in no way an admission that I had an affair or affairs.” Please be reasonable not to bad mouth about a family value and god loving lawmaker in Orange County, California.
In stepping down, Duvall said it would not be fair to his family, constituents or friends to remain in office.
“I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly, who are working hard on the very serious problems facing our state,” he said. “Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately, so that the Assembly can get back to work.”
I am with the rest of you - who cares who leaked it? And this is the headline of the story? Like somebody did something wrong besides Michael Duvall and Sempra and their “lobbyist”?
Sounds like the OC Register has things just a tiny bit backwards.
I’m sure he is just the tip of the iceberg. What a sleazy S.O.B. And Miller is a liar, saying he wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. Watch the video. Miller was looking right at Duvall the whole time. At no time was he “looking down” at his Blackberry. Run both these guys and the lobbyists out on a rail.
Anyone who knows Brandon Powers knows he was behind the leak. However I appreciate it, I’m always happy to see another Republican go down in flames.
well duh, how else would it get out to the media so quickly?
but it’s certainly public record, so not like it was the Watergate tapes or something.
If Miller has had it since July 8th, why didn’t he alert the voters and media? That is just wrong!
That is why he got bounced from the ethics committee. Miller is vice-chairman of the ethics committee and did not report it to the ethics committee. Not because, as Brian states above, of being part of the investigation. BTW Miller is the subject of a recall petition as is Assemblyman Silva and Senator Huff for voting to raise taxes. I say kick ‘em all out. Not to mention Duvall, Miller, Silva and Huff all endorsed Hutchens. Just another reason to give them da boot.
The Assembly Speaker’s office says Miller was temporarily removed from the Ethics Committee because he was part of the conversation that the committee is investigating.
Nothing publicly has been said tying Miller’s removal to the fact that he did not report the conversation.
It’s unclear whether Miller even had any responsibility to report the conversation as a member of the Ethics Committee — especially if the conversation was, as Duvall is claiming, just a tall tale.
But perhaps, Rocket, you have other information?
The conflict of interest doesn’t necessarily arise for being an alledged innocent victim of banter. It arises from knowing and failing to disclose for a full two months that a ranking assembly member on the energy committee is sleeping with a lobbist for an energy company. Don’t know what is worse what Duvall did or what Miller did. Either way it exhibits a profound breakdown of the leadership of Orange County politics because you can’t tell me what these guys have been up to is not common knowledge in local GOP circles. I happily await the investigative reporters crawling all over Sacramento.
well why dont they also report or leak all the back taxes Rangel owes from his realty transactions. no wonder all these news outlets are going under and have no ratings.
What does that have to do with the CONservitive duvall? He legislated for sex! How much higher are our utility bills because of sleaze bags like this?
**Why is it so difficult for you people to stay on topic, fhim?
As usual, the moral conservative (aka. self-proclaim republicans) is neither.
It’s so embarrassing, I can’t even associate with that party anymore.
A side story — it’s amazing what women will do to get influence or deals. These guys are so far south of “good looking”.
Just love it when these fat, arrogant, hypocritical, power hungry slobs get busted! Makes me believe the conservatives are correct…that there is a god and Jesus!
Didn’t Duvall tell Miller that it was the lobbyist who leaked?
Hilarious JohnTheBaptist…that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!!1
Inquiring about who leaked the Duvall tape is important in its own right and is not intended to excuse Duvall’s comments — or to knock the reporting of other media outlets.
As you may recall in 2006, the LA Times published a story about a tape recording they obtained of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger saying that Cubans and Puerto Ricans are feisty because of their “black blood” and “Latino blood.”
That caused a stir — as did the revelation a few days later that State Treasurer Phil Angelides, who was running against the governor, had leaked the tape to the Times.
We are inquiring as to who leaked to tape to see if there were political motives behind it.
Look at the recall stuff Brian. Some heavy hitters involved in that. Also Miller booted for failing to report when he was vice- chair.
**It’s only important to political operatives. Nobody else cares if you don’t know who you can trust. Do you really think the average taxpayer gives a damn, brian?
I don’t know if the average taxpayer would care because I don’t know what the circumstances are.
If there were a political or personal reason, readers might very well care, depending, of course, on what those reasons were.
But at this point we don’t know and we feel it’s our responsibility to at least ask the question.
Here’s a link to Mike Duvall’s local Insurance Agency in Yorba Linda.
http://duvallins.com/location.asp
There is zero connection between Fleishman and Lopez. Hard to say Lopez towed the Carona line when he was among the earliest to go after Haidl and Jaramillio. Fleishman however was neck deep in their muck.
The reason that the California Republican Party is irrelevant is due in large part to turds like Fleishman and Shroeder running it. They are creepy, evil weirdos that get off on destroying people. They have only their self interests in mind, not the Party or the citizenry. Ever!
I listened to the tape, Duvall admitted that it was Heidi DeJong Barsuglia that leaked.
I bet it was Chris Norby - he is very ambitious and a master of dirty tricks — and the first announce that we was running for the open seat.
brian- connect former Duvall staffer to one of the alrady mentioned parties and maybe it will lead to more….or maybe not.
Did Duvall fire Fleischman’s wife?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/09/did-crp-vice-chair-jon-fleischman-bring-down-mike-duvall/
this form of life is a disgrace to men and women. mr.duvall is in fact what is wrong with this country. Do as I say not what I do.When are the American people going to wake up. People are hurting all over this nation and for this frat rat to snub his face at the electorate and not do the buisnes of the people of California is a total disgrace.Familly values. What a laugh.I guess next he will deny that his transgretion did not happen. Then his wife for fear of loosing his 6 figure income will stand by this creep.The real looser here is the people of California.Next time think before you vote.