UPDATE II: Assemblymember Nora Campos' spokesman Steve Harmon got back to San Jose Inside on Friday afternoon and said that Keith Jackson made a $750 contribution to Campos' 2010 campaign via check. It's unclear who would have collected that check on Campos' behalf, but Harmon said she has "never met him, did not know him, does not know him."
UPDATE: San Jose Inside followed up with Assemblymember Nora Campos’ office Friday morning. Spokesman Steve Harmon said Campos does not recall ever meeting Keith Jackson, who is accused by the FBI of taking part in a public corruption scandal. When asked how Jackson's money made into Campos' 2010 campaign account, Harmon said, "I don't know." He promised to check and get back with an answer. Jackson, state Sen. Leland Yee and Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, a purported gang leader, are reportedly among the 18 defendants who were scheduled to appear in federal court Friday morning. In total, 26 people have been charged in the public corruption scandal.
Leland Yee’s arrest on public corruption charges Wednesday shocked San Francisco and Sacramento’s political scenes. But one of the state senator’s alleged co-conspirators, Keith Jackson, a political consultant who was accused by the FBI of taking part in a "murder-for-hire scheme and a gun- and drug-trafficking conspiracy," has a connection to one of the South Bay’s own state legislators.
Campaign records with the Secretary of State’s office show Jackson has contributed money to just two political candidates since the beginning of 2010: Yee and Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose).
Jackson contributed $750 through his consulting firm to Campos’ 2010 run for a seat in the State Assembly, according to a campaign disclosure form. The contribution is noted as occurring on March 24, 2010, but the filing has been amended twice, meaning it's uncertain how the forms may have been altered from the original filing.
San Jose Inside reached out early Thursday afternoon to Campos' office, asking spokesman Steve Harmon for a comment about the nature of her and Jackson’s relationship. Harmon did not get back to San Jose Inside before an acknowledged deadline.
While the contribution to Campos’ campaign was not a lot of money, Jackson and Yee, in addition to being accused of running guns and drugs, have been been charged with orchestrating pay-to-play schemes at the Capitol. Late last year, local prosecutors suggested during a grand jury hearing that Campos gave ex-county Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. $5,000 to carry out a mail fraud scheme on behalf of her brother, San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos.
Nora Campos and Yee have worked on similar legislation. The San Francisco Chronicle noted in an editorial published Dec. 28, 2012, that the two legislators authored nearly identical bills related to social media privacy.
“Anyone who's ever been to a wild party may be breathing a sigh of relief at two new social-media privacy laws: one that prohibits employers from demanding social-media user names and passwords from employees or applicants (AB1844, authored by state Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose), and one that restricts higher education institutions from doing the same to students and prospective students (SB1349, from San Francisco Democratic state Sen. Leland Yee). Both of these new laws are long overdue,” the editorial states.
While it's unclear what relationship Nora Campos has with Yee and Jackson, the severity of the charges means all peripheral connections deserve an examination, if not an explanation.
Knew you had it in you Josh. If you start doing any less than 1 Campos story a week, I worry.
Is she preggers or just getting chubby? Picture for reference. http://imgur.com/lmPFNQJ
It indicates something pretty scary about the “enlightened” voters of California that they continue to elect Democrats to go to Sacramento to participate in the colossal shakedown that masquerades as “government”.
As far as I’m concerned Josh can publish ten articles per day exposing these carpetbaggers if that’s what it takes to get the attention of the spoiled, brain dead electorate.
R.M. Cortese: Was that photo taken at an obesity convention?
No idea, but I saw her brother last night at the DCC interview of candidates. I really wanted to ask him about his involvement with the Shirakawa mailer scandal. Unfortunately I think it would have gotten groans and moans from the peanut gallery. So I just deferred to a lame duck question about Almaden Lake.
It’s not that I want to be on any kind of offensive against the Campos’s, I don’t. On a larger scale picture though it’s disheartening to see the overall scandals affecting the reputation of the party. I’m in the formation stages of a Cambrian Dem club now, and perhaps when the formation is complete, I’ll start asking these types of hard questions nobody else wants to ask for fear of breaking decorum.
The only way the Dem’s will relieve themselves of scandal is to properly filter out candidates, until that happens though I fear our reputation will continue to be eroded by them.
Josh: you quote an editorial, but don’t identify the publication or author.
Wait a minute! Whhhaaaa? Nora Campos ‘linked’ to BIGGER corruption? Noooo Way!?!?!? Hmmm….I wonder how the AFL-CIO spoiled, brain dead electorates feel about one of their ‘darlings’ being linked to yet again another corruption scandal.
I can’t wait for Cindy Chavez’s dirty laundry to be exposed! =D
What ever happened to the California Democratic Party standing for ‘the people’?
Clearly, it only stands for ‘the few’!
What a disgrace.
Keith Jackson linked to Santa Clara Plays Fair Advisor
MIke Antonini, an advisor to Santa Clara Plays Fair, also is an advisor to Keith Jackson. Antonini who raised money for the Plays Fair gang also raised money for Keith Jackson, who had a contact with Santa Clara Plays Fair
Rowen I know this is you…
You need to stop focusing on this. The SCPF folks have their view, and they’re entitled to it. What they’re not entitled to is ad hominem attacks because their view doesn’t jive with yours. Also, your comment has zero to do with the story.
Just because you’re writing under an assumed name doesn’t hide a thing. The subject matter, the tone, and writing style is unique to you.
What you are doing is part of the reason our Democracy, and the Democratic party in general is quickly losing it’s credibility. Sure, you have the right to civil free speech, but you’ve crossed the line on so many occasions that it can’t be considered civil anymore. If I was alone in this view, John wouldn’t have won a $400k judgement. So pack it in. Go do something, anything with your life. It’s 4th and 10 with 10 seconds to go for you. At your age and condition, it’s time to focus on other pursuits.
I’ll tell you what, I have a sailboat I’m not too fond of up on Treasure Island. I’ll transfer the pink slip, and if you can scrape together the $150@mo slip fee, you can be independent, not having to depend on anyone. The catch here is, you have to knock this crap off. I think that would be good for you. Maybe you could spend the rest of your days cruising around the bay, doing some fishing. Maybe cruise up the delta to franks tract. You can live on this boat.
I’m a pretty kind soul when it comes to this kind of stuff. In you, I don’t see some big scary political guy. I see a guy who’s constantly being taken advantage of, then cast off like a used condom or band aid when you’ve become a liability or inconvenience.
Again though, offer is on the table. Spend the rest of your days rotting away and spiraling even further downward, or take a step towards independence. Choice is yours. If I truly held any grudges, I wouldn’t be putting this out there.
You know how to get in touch.
More prattlings from James Rowen, Santa Clara’s own political hagfish.
Back in 2010, we took in and spent less than $25 thou to finance “No on Jed.”
Jed York’s Astroturf group – a group that didn’t want a thing to do with James Rowen, by the way – took in $5 million.
–> 94% of our support came from Santa Clara Residents.
–> Less than 1% of Jed’s Astroturf support came from Santa Clarans.
We stick to the numbers. Read our FPPC 460s on the Santa Clara City Clerk’s website.
Unfortunately, all that James Rowen can do is attack people who don’t agree with him.
Oh, by the way: MIke Antonini never paid a penny to our organization – but Keith Jackson was deeply involved with the drive for Hunters Point development, an affair in which the San Francisco 49ers played Lennar Development like a fiddle. Lennar Development told Dr. John York, “We’ll give you the $100,000,000 that Gavin Newsom won’t – all you have to do is own and manage your own NFL football stadium.”
The 49ers’ response? – “NO.”
Lennar now gets to implode the Candlestick site for the development which might have gone forward in 2008 but for the jerk-around games played by the Yorks and the 49ers’ front office.
Yeah, we got a jolt when we read that Leland Yee had been led out in handcuffs.
But that has not a thing to do with the San Francisco 49ers’ ripoff of the City of Santa Clara.
Sorry, James. FAIL. Again.
Maybe you’ll have better luck with the George Shirakawa Defense Fund.
Cheers,
Bill Bailey, Treasurer,
http://www.SantaClaraPlaysFair.org/
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http://www.sccaseinfo.org/pa6.asp?full_case_number=1-13-CV-250808&crumbs=Case+Number+Results
I thought this was James Rowen, too! If memory serves, his latest terms of the lawsuit preclude him from doing this stuff!
Please enlighten those of us who don’t know what Rowen’s lawsuit was all about. Thank you.
At the risk of derailing even further offtopic…
Between 2006 and 2010 Rowen was allegedly hired (his own allegations) by various campaign consultants to harass people that were not in line with their candidates or agendas. His attacks included both defamation and harassment, that went on long after said campaigns had finished. One of my friends still has a creepy voicemail left by Rowen on his answering machine.
John Mlinarik had run for Santa Clara council in 2010 and lost, but Rowen continued his cyberbulling well into 2014. Near the end of 2013 I started contacting John and others that had enough of his harassment, and decided to do something about it.
It started with Anthony Macias taking Rowen to court, and having all mention removed from Rowens blogs. This was followed with Chris Stampolis and John Mlinarik sueing for defamation. Myself, I had run in 2010 for SJ council and lost, and got tired of seeing Rowen still being on the attack after 4 years. I had John send him a nasty attorney letter. John wound up with a $400k judgement against Rowen.
Rowen claims that Rich Robinson had used him in the past, which would explain ALOT in my case. Nadeem something also paid Rowen, as well as a few other Santa Clara notables. Santa Clara plays fair site has a full list of those that have supported him.