Just about six weeks have passed since news broke about Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen’s investigation of Sheriff Laurie Smith’s top brass and their process for issuing permits to carry concealed weapons. While information about the probe has been tough to come by, the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article over the weekend that featured some previously unpublished information.
The Sept. 14 piece co-authored by Metro/San Jose Inside alumnus Josh Koehn noted that the DA actually served at least three warrants—two of which targeted a couple high-ranking sheriff officials and were apparently furnished prior to the Aug. 2 search at Smith’s Younger Avenue HQ. Fly knows from previous reporting that one of those higher-ups was Capt. James Jensen.
The article also corroborated some of this news organization’s reporting on AS Solution, the executive protection company that employs Martin Nielsen, whose extraordinary $45,000 contribution to a pro-Smith PAC raised some red flags. The Chron got Google and Facebook to confirm their ties to the security firm, a tidbit Fly previously heard from within the ranks at AS Solution but not directly from those companies.
Finally, the Chron reported that concealed carry permits are actually required for some jobs at AS Solution. That’s important to note because, as we’ve discussed before, that growing demand for armed executive protection in counties where concealed-gun permits are virtually impossible to get has created circumstances ripe for abuse.
Whether Smith or her allies slipped up by offering some kind of provable quid pro quo is an open question. Another head-scratcher, of course, is why anyone at AS Solution would feel the need to engage in that kind of deal making in the first place—given their line of work, their chances of securing a CCW permit would already be better than most.
Regardless, it may be awhile before we find out what the DA’s managed to dig up through the secretive search and seizure of digital evidence and the files full of concealed-gun permit applications. But there’s little doubt he’d target the county’s top cop unless he was onto something. If so, Fly expects to read all about it in a forthcoming indictment.
Perhaps it’s time to open the file’s on all permits issued in the county. Who gets to open what kinds of business and what did it cost, and who got the pay off’s.
Years ago I gave up trying to do repair work requiring permits as noting was ever right, requiring multiple reinspection’s, and maybe a pay off or a treat. I got out of that end of the repair business.
The permit system has always been an opportunity for official graft corruption especially when you put extremes limits on thing like taxi’s, water, or electricity. Worse yet you can hold the entire community hostage over up grading internet access.
Time to replace our government and return to a two party system, or the place will look like Venezuela ASAP.
Who will investigate DA Jeff Rosen who gives passes to privilege criminals including law enforcement that engages in DV and attempted murder? Having Smith and Rosen as top cops is outrageous since they both are the top two criminals.
DV? please explain DV, Felix. Defending Venezuela?
Domestic Violence
I wish the city and Jeff would investigate foreigner violence.
The CCW process in California is subjective, because the sheriff of each county can define for himself or herself what constitutes “good cause.” And “good cause” generally refers to self-defense of the CCW holder, not the protection of a third-party. Are the lives of these third parties clearly in danger? If so, why not just hire an off-duty cop?