Hearing Republicans complain about "scandalous behavior" as in Pelosi's payment of a fine for campaign funds, or asking did Hillary Clinton's finance manager report properly, is getting tiresome. These allegations are microscopic in comparison to the record compiled by Darrell Issa in the 49th District in California.
One might think that after being tossed from the gubernatorial race, in tears, that the Congressman had changed his ways? Not so. Below the fold is a reminder from the Byron campaign of the Congressman's shady background, and information about his attempt to "help" Qualcomm in Iraq. My assumption is that the information from the Byron Campaign is not going to be on the Internet in summary form forever, and that the more places that contain this information the better.
Democrats and other progressives in the 49th perhaps need to start looking for solid, reputable, candidates for the 2006 election, because frankly, Mr. Issa's record is questionable at best. How questionable is recorded below in the extended copy.
source
1971: "Issa turns 18, becomes a legal adult. Sergeant Jay Bergey accuses Issa of stealing his car saying: "That kid stole my car." (This allegation should not be confused with Issa's 1972 indictment for car theft in Ohio, or his 1980 arrest for car theft in California.) Rather than involve the courts, Bergey said, he opted for a more direct approach: "I confronted Issa . . . . I got in his face and threatened to kill him, and magically my car reappeared the next day." Issa falsely claims to be assigned to Guard President Nixon at 1971 World Series--which Nixon watches on television from the White House!"
1971-72: "Issa receives unsatisfactory evaluations from his Army unit, is removed from bomb squad duty and assigned to low-level laborer duty. Issa is tried in an Article 15 proceeding for an undisclosed offense, and is demoted to lower rank. "According to records and interviews, Issa's service on the bomb squad was marred by a bad conduct rating, a demotion and allegations that he had stolen a fellow soldier's car." San Francisco Examiner, Friday May 28th, 1998."
1973: "Issa convicted of weapons charge in Michigan."
1972: charges filed for auto theft in Ohio, eventually dropped.
1980: charged with felony grand theft auto in California, DA declines to prosecute.
1982: "Issa seizes control of car alarm business from owner and founder Joe Adkins who had single-handedly built it into a million dollar a year business. After interrogating the company's bookkeeper about its finances and those of Adkins, ["The bookkeeper, Karen Brasdovich, said Issa had grilled her about Adkins' finances, including his late payment of bills. Only later, she says, did she suspect that Issa may have then used that information to seize the firm. "He picked my brain. It really bothers me to this day that I fell for that," she said." LA Times 5/23/1998]
Issa offers Adkins a $60,000.00 loan. Later when the loan is due, Adkins asks for "a few more weeks" to repay, Issa agrees then quickly seizes Adkins' business the following day in a court proceeding of which Adkins was not notified."
1982: "Issa raises fire insurance on business he has legally, but unethically, stolen (see above) from $100,000.00 to $460,000.00. During the weekend just before it mysteriously burns down Issa is seen in the company building several times. He removes blueprints and records from the company safe, along with a key computer. The company building then burns down. One of Issa's brothers [believed to be William] is observed to have hair singed on one arm. Insurance investigators suspect Issa is responsible for the arson. ["An unexplained note was typed at the bottom of a state fire marshal's lab request: `RUSH--Have suspect or conspiracy.'" [LA Times 5/23/1998]
A firefighter was seriously, almost fatally, injured fighting this blaze. An out of court settlement is reached. [Note: Since the statute of limitations has expired Issa is free to release terms of this settlement to his constituents.] [LA Times 5/23/1998]"
December 2001: "Issa refuses orders from a uniformed US Border Patrol agent in a marked government car with the light bar and siren activated to slow down from 90 MPH. When the agent pulls Issa over, Issa whips out his Congressional ID and states "I'm Congressman Darrell Issa and this is my area." Issa argues with the officer and later has his staff try to imply that the incident probably never took place and that if it did occur, it was politically motivated. Source: North County Times April 26, 2002."
2003-2004: "In 2003-2004 Issa abused his Congressional position to intervene in the process of awarding an emergency first responders cellular network in Iraq. Issa's stated intent was to transform this contract into one in which a consortium led by Qualcomm would get sole national commercial cell phone rights for all of Iraq. Instead this effort led to no contract being awarded at all for the emergency first responders cellular network. According to the LA Times the reaction to Issa's interference was "That has angered top U.S. officials and members of the U.S.-led authority governing Iraq, who say the deaths of many Americans and Iraqis might have been prevented with better communications." (Source: Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2004, page A-1 "Iraq Cellular Project Leads to U.S. Inquiry. By T. Christian Miller, Times Staff Writer) Put plainly: The LA Times itself clearly states that Issa's greed led directly to the deaths of many America military personnel in Iraq."