The Grand Jury indicted former county Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. on one felony count of false personation Monday. According to the Grand Jury’s report, which by law will not be released for 10 days, Shirakawa allegedly took part in a political mail fraud scheme “on or about and between May 1, 2010, and June 8, 2010.”
According to prosecutors in the District Attorney’s office, Shirakawa’s DNA was found on political mailers that portrayed then-San Jose City Council candidate Magdalena Carrasco as a communist. The mailers targeted the Vietnamese community in East San Jose, and almost certainly hurt her image in the eyes of these voters. Carrasco lost the primary by 20 votes to current District 5 Councilmember Xavier Campos, a close friend and former staffer to Shirakawa, before going on to lose the runoff.
The DA’s office said in a statement that the indictment will supersede the previously filed criminal complaint. Shirakawa’s next court date in the matter will be Dec. 4. He is also scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on Nov. 8 after pleading guilty to five felonies and seven misdemeanors related to his misuse of campaign funds and perjury.
A source with knowledge about the Grand Jury tells San Jose Inside that Carrasco, Campos and his sister, State Assemblymember Nora Campos, were all deposed by the Grand Jury last week. Councilmember Campos’ office declined comment. A spokesperson for Assemblymember Campos referred a request for comment to the DA’s office.
Josh,
Given this information, and because Carrasco only lost by 20 votes, can’t they declare the election invalid and do it over?
Hi Kathleen,
No—and there is still no indication from the DA that it plans to charge X. Campos. But the councilman is up for re-election next year. At some point, he’ll need to talk about these issues. Whoever challenges him for the District 5 seat will certainly be raising questions.
Thanks for reading,
JK
Thank you. What if the DA finds out he was involved? What will happen them?
I’m sure they can’t force Campos to provide a DNA sample. If you were running against Campos you could ask him if he ever provided a DNA sample. If Campos had you would have heard about it by now.
he is a crook , need to get jail time and not community service picking up garbage on the highway. Maybe 3 yrs in prison.
Nobody cares.
Says just about every and anyone who ever worked for Shirakawa, Garcia, Campos et al.
The rest of us tax payers do care who is fleecing the city and county coffers.
George’s little San Jose Sopranos parody continues to crumble. Hopefully he won’t get off with a bracelet on his ankle, sitting at home watching “The Sopranos” and eating junk food. BTW, if he’s broke, who’s paying his living expenses (thousands a month?) since March?
As folks start to look more closely at Xavier, they’ll no doubt begin to pick up on Xavier’s similarities to Bobby Baccalieri in the original Sopranos, stumbling along, loyally doing what he’s told.
Campos may end up slipping through this mess and lining himself up as the next generation Mike Honda, quietly sitting around and doing, well, nothing much for 2 or 3 decades.
Wouldn’t it be great if some San Jose State Political student wrote a thesis on the P CARD and it’s abuse through out its course.
I wonder if Sherloc Holmes, could have found the DNA on one stamp? OK so how did this come down?
I believe that George’s legacy, will be that he changed local politics forever, and how we allow so many to abuse the system of trust and go unpunished.
From behind my anvil, as I forged bronze, I watched as the Fancy Dancers, strolled by with all the arrogance of power.
It appears now,they are all under a dark rock. Perhaps waiting for a new leader mayor.
The story is yet to be written, about the disbanded Grand Jury!
George, must have a publisher, to tell his story. What would I pay to read all about the neferrious characters, that used George’s position of trust, for personal gain? 50 BUCKS? YEP!
The Village Black Smith
Audry Huynh,
You are sickening! Yes sickening!
To equate that little piece of Zero, to Mike Honda, is to say that Xavior Comost, is a solution.
Macsa was the germination for these wildly aqgressive movers.
All of these specimens, from MASCA and THE MEXICAN HERITAGE corp. are ready to fall, into a world on George Shirikawa Jr’s manuscript.
Yes Audry, you are very sick!
Mike Honda, is a hero in Silicon Valley, and in our valley of hearts delight!
Gil Hernandez
WOW!
I have not been that HOT, since Gonzalez and his aide, were an item, in his home.
Alvina, became a good friend of mine.
Mike Honda, is the best thing to come to our sprit of community. He has always been there to serve. I could go on, but why should I, we all know Mike, and what he represents.
You Audry are obiously in the camp of Ro the techy
running against our beloved Mike Honda.
The politics of that camp, is very lacking, in community.
He is one of those Fancy Dancers, with the arrogance of power, on his face.
Just look at who is supporting him!
Politics when it gets to your level in called assignation of character! They will stop at nothing to elect their choice that they can control!
The Village Black Smith
I don’t think kicking someone when they are down is right. I feel sorry for George in some respects. He has done great things for our community.
Don’t get me wrong, he broke the law and needs to atone for it. He shouldn’t walk a way with just probation, or community service, but I do think he needs some serious counseling for his addiction. Jail time with mandated counseling should be his punishment, and community service after his release.
It’s too bad that George has chosen not to expose those who were involved in betraying the public’s trust, and throwing what should have been a fair, and honest election. All of his cohorts have abandoned him, leaving him to take all the blame.
My hope is that George re-thinks protecting his so-called friends. The public deserves to know the truth about who helped him throw the election in favor of Campos. It would go along way to healing the harm George has caused everyone concerned, if he exposed his cohorts.
Kathleen,
George is going to need money to servive this. So many including the publications are guilty of kicking a dead horse! Those are called denial kicks!!!!
He will in time come to terms with what his manuscript is worth, when published. He was in politics a long time, He owns all of that information. That will be his legacy! It’s more than the Carasco stamp. The stamp ties a lot of people together, on both sides of the isle.
When he goes to jail, he will lose so much weight. He will be clean and sober. And, he will have much to say about Who’s Who. Great job to those that planned this take down.
The village Black Smith