Stuffing mailboxes full of fliers proved a vital pandemic-era campaigning tactic last year. But those mailers have drawn new scrutiny to the campaign paper trails left by Alum Rock Union School District governing board members Andres Quintero, Corina Herrea-Loera and failed candidate Joseph Corona.
California’s Fair Political Practices Commission is no stranger to Alum Rock, an embattled school district with a history of investigations and fines for finance violations, including Dolores Marquez-Frausto’s $7,000 fine in 2019 for not being able to prove the origins of some of her campaign money.
The flier in question, as included with the Dec. 11, 2020 FPPC complaint. (Courtesy of the FPPC)
Now, the campaign watchdog has opened an investigation based on an anonymous December 11 complaint accusing the trio of “laundered campaign contributions” and “contributions by intermediary or agent,” in creating and sending out a promo last year.
The suspect mailer gave Herrea-Loera and Corona a thumbs-up from veteran board member Quintero. Tiny lettering at the bottom claimed it was paid for by campaigns for Herrea-Loera and Corona as well as “Andres Quintero for Alum Rock School Board 2022.”
One problem: that doesn’t match with the county’s Registrar of Voters (ROV) records. Rather, the money appears to have flowed from Quintero’s 2018 account.
Quintero chalks that up to lost documents or a glitch at the county office, but said he didn’t have the paperwork on hand Tuesday to show he’d done everything by the book. Only a records request unearthed the file showing he'd changed the campaign's name at the state level, but not at the county, as required by the ROV.
That matters because dollars left in an old committee 90 days after election filing deadlines are often deemed “surplus funds,” which can be used for some expenses, but not promoting other candidates, according to the FPPC handbook. Quintero says he changed the committee’s name, making that rule moot in this case, but without the documents on file, that is what the agency will have to square in its newly opened investigation.
Alum Rock has seen some serious corruption in the past few years, but Quintero has consistently been on the ethical/reformist side of those issues. This seems like an honest mistake that doesn’t have any ethical implications – it seems like it’s just one more example of the fact that the rules around running for office are so complicated that your average person needs a hired professional to navigate them, which severely limits the ability of people to run for public office – and even then, the hired professionals often make mistakes.
Gotta agree, Quintero is a good guy.
About time I they catch this cheap politician. He has been doing a lot of questionable things. Very far from a good guy. I wonder why unions gave him money for a 2018 campaign to him when he was not running. He was part of shirakawa team who served time in jail for campaign stuff. Fppc also investigated del terra contributions to his school campaign because they stole money from Thai district. Glad everything catching up to this corrupt who has years on politics and knows the ins and outs . He is also a politician science teacher who should know better no excuses. Far from good guy More like got caught finally!! Vote him out
The complaint looks like it came from someone who lost an election in November when she ran for the Alum Rock school board. Not a smart move fromQuintero Corina would have won anyways. Saw some of the ALuM rock board meetings. The candidate who lost hangs out at all the board meetings and she is mentored by Peter Ortiz and Omar Torres. They were all speakers at Charter School rally on Wednesday now we know why they hate this guy he won’t sell the schools to the people who are supporting them. Very sus, Very sus.
Hey Quintero love your name instead of blaming others for your faults why don’t your hold yourself accountable. Your a bully leave candidates alone because you can’t stand strong woman who don’t submit to you like corina. I think you Quintero can’t hide all your fraudulent behavior anymore. You need to respond to the community and union you lied to. Schools are failing because you like to protect Hilaria Bauer superintendent instead of the kids. Funny how you blame charters and you took money from them in your assembly race maybe they should ask charters what you tell them. Your a hipócrita Quintero using charters and then attacking them. Love how your hide under others name. You are so predicatable lame and once again blame others to deflect what you did yes you! Let’s ask del terra why you got mad is it because they refusedto hire your cousin when your wrote it to them in a napkin. I hold now with your writing. Please leave people alone the candidate is not alone she has us the community who will speak out against a bully like you. We will expose you of your continue to attack a woman of color. Your horrible man hope no one backs you again. She is not alone and we the community will make sure you are hold accountable.
https://sanjosespotlight.com/alum-rock-community-demand-answers-after-da-jeff-rosen-declines-to-charge-contractor/
https://sanjosespotlight.com/alum-rock-union-school-district-to-close-san-jose-schools/
https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/da-declines-to-file-charges-in-alum-rock-construction-scandal/
Here is some more info about the corruption about this district, maybe he is sad because he was not in the rally with parents because parents don’t put $$ in his campaign (pocket). Understand this rally was more about collaboration to support ALL SCHOOLS Charters AND traditional because all are PUBLIC. Trustee Peter Ortiz, Trustee Omar Torres are serving ours kids, they are the example for other public officials, not like those (Andres Quintero) who only want $$$$. Stop blaming charter PUBLIC schools for your mishandling of the money and your corruption if parents decide to send their children those schools is ALL YOUR FAULT.
Wow Andrews you must be very scared of her why are you so pressed on her? Que pasa less decimos lo Que nos dijiste en kipp Que nos apoyas? No eres what do we call men like un hombre vacio. Envestiguenlo porfavor porque el biene a decir si a las charters y luego nos ataka. Que tristesa verte ahorra la vida da vueltas.
Very sus that Quintero this is no bueno. I was in one of his classes at a evergreen he always late and gets mas fast. He would talk about politics a lot and brought his friends from the unions to speak. My brother said unions do so may favors to him maybe that’s what happen. He for scared a strong woman could get the seat and panicked. Rookie mistake since he is a veteran in politics he knows better. I wonder what he doing to do will he get mad? Will he actually take accountability? Men like him usually Dont they are machistas for life. Hope they fine him and all parties involved this is wrong. Corona actually stuffed our mailbox and that’s illegal I think we still have the flyer it was a print out with no paid postage. Bad bad bad very bad example for our kids.
Not good for AlumRock AlumRock candidate under investigation by FPPC talks at all the meetings about transparency. Complainant is listed as the registrar of voters wonder what they found
Seems like there was campaign coordination – tsk tsk tsk not good
Case No. : 2020-00862
Status: Case Opened and Pending
Respondents: BRENDA ZENDEJAS FOR ALUM ROCK SCHOOL BOARD; BRENDA ZENDEJAS FOR ALUM ROCK SCHOOL BOARD 2020; Brenda Zendejas; Brenda Zendejas; Brenda Zendejas for Alum Rock School Board 2020; RISE UP ALUM ROCK! OPPOSING DOLORES MARQUEZ-FRANSTO FOR ARUSD BOARD
Complainants: Registrar of Voters Office
Violation Type: Campaign Committee Coordination
Check for yourself
https://www.fppc.ca.gov/enforcement/complaint-and-case-information-portal.html
Quinteri isn’t this because your told Natalie to report her because that’s all you did during her while campaign report report a strong woman. She did nothing wrong and no coordinating seems like u mad your reporting didn’t go far. We should report you to unions of what a big bully your are. You once again or is this Natalie or Ernesto your bully team. Maybe you mad you actually ate caught she didn’t have a team like you she ran alone. She had no help like how you managed corona, and Corina. You will run again and we can’t wait to vote you out. You are toxic. Unlike you this candidate is respected and not alone. She is new sd not a politician like you! You send your cronies to defend you and you still no accountability. She has done nothing to you and you still have her name in your mouth all of you hate her because she calls you out! You hate what you can’t control. Deflect deflect this is about you Corina and corona being investigated. It’s says Andrew an elected official. You are being investigated once again not the first time and not the first time you are in a big ball of mess. You Andrew are a big shame
? lol lol this man is busy attacking a person who isn’t even an elected official. This is about Andres quintero coordinating finances from previous camouagn with Corina and Corona. This man will deflect deflect and deflect. Hold Andres accountable he is an experience politician. Dont make this about Brenda who has done nothing to you or anyone. Have some respect her children go to those Alum rock and the hasn’t taken them out like Ernesto who as soon as he won he took them out. You Andres stop attacking a mom who holds you accountable. Tell your cronies to stop attacking with fake names. Seems like you reporter her because you were scared. This is nothing compared to what you did. You managed those two campaigns and she managed her own with no experience. Hold Andres quintero accountable censor him. We will walk for Brenda if she ever runs again. We will make sure you lose and walk so people know never to vote for you again latino vendido. Brenda we stand with you and please run again!
What a mess this district is always in the news for something shady. All the people on the board when del terra was caught should of been holder responsible. Why is this man Andres Quintero still in this district? He should be out with the others too. This means this man has too much experience in campaigns and we need to keep an eye out. What is next changing school board to assembly, Congress or city council. It clearly says he is running for school board and for this he should be disqualified. He should not be allowed to continue to run if he has several investigations. Again means he has done it one to many times. No excuse why he did this clearly we see he wants puppets to control. Minh pham was part of his assembly race team. He is now sitting with him. This man has one interest only to be the ring leader of these inexperience board members. Shame on him
Didn’t he attack another board member for this? Didn’t Corina do a hit piece on the board member for this? Contributing together and not reporting wow! These flyers were everywhere even on the ground. They sent like 3 in one day and now it explains where Corina and Corona got the help. This man wanted to ensure their seats at any cost. Well, karma is a …. and the world goes in circles. What you reap is what you sow.
When will alum rock stop being on the news for negative media. We need to elect people that have no negative backlash attached to them. This is not ok and they just get worst and worst. This past election was horrible a lot of attacks on people and those that ran did not win on their own merit, but trashing others and here we are again. When will these people stop using our School boars for a political platform? Let’s see who runs for what again. Not good for our kids to have these leaders who try to go around the law.
This is relatively minor. “Dishonest Hon” Lien on the Milpitas School Board is currently under investigation by the FPPC for abusing her position and title to mislead the public and claim the school district itself was endorsing Bob Nunez for Council. Trustee Michael Tsai pointed this out and just for that they attacked him.
Then there’s “Crooked Chris” Norwood who uses his tutoring “non profit” as a vehicle for his shady self-dealings. Laundering campaign money from school contractors, steering school district contracts to it, and using the proceeds to pay himself and his female “assistant” 6 figures a year each out of the funds. Using the nonprofit to buy services for his own kid, who he sends to expensive private school even as he prates about how much he believes in public education.
Alum Rock gets a lot of notoriety as a rotten school district, but with the removal of the “Alum Rock 3” it’s really now Milpitas that is the most corrupt school district in the county though Alum Rock is still up there. Investigate them next, there is much more dirt to be exposed.
Andres Quintero bullied moms at Alum ROck. He went as far as to yell at them in meetings not related to alum rock because they questioned the district. He is bad news and needs to go.
Andres Quintero helps close the macsa center with Nora Campos. This man helped George shirakawa hide money. He got del terra in alum rock and got upset they would not hire his brother. Del terra role monge from this district and managed their own projects under his watch.He really though he could manipulate them and when he couldn’t he acted and threw the other members for accepting donations like he did from this corrupted corporation. So bad. The unions who help him are bullies like him. He is basura