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DENISE AGUILAR, ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE, HAS A CRIMINAL RECORD. SHE CAN STILL RUN
Denise Aguilar Mendez, a rightwing extremist who was photographed participating in the failed Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection, founded the anti-vaccine group Freedom Angels and the survivalist Mamalitia and who is running as a Republican to represent Stockton in the Assembly, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor welfare fraud in 2020.
On Tuesday, we reported about a 2019 video of Aguilar, posted on conservative video sharing site Rumble and resurfaced by left-leaning Media Matters For America, showing the candidate making several conspiratorial and antisemitic statements.
Aguilar is endorsed by the California Republican Party and Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City.
It turns out that 2019 was a busy year for Aguilar. Not only was that when she first entered the political fray in Sacramento — protesting a state law tightening up vaccine requirements for schoolchildren — but that’s also when she was charged with three felony counts: aid by misrepresentation over $950, grand theft of personal property over $950 and perjury.
The charges alleged that Aguilar bilked the government out of $10,984 in public funds from the San Joaquin County Human Services Agency. According to the initial charges, the alleged criminal behavior took place between March 2016 and February 2018.
At a preliminary hearing in September 2020, Aguilar pleaded guilty to a single count of misdemeanor welfare fraud as part of a plea bargain with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
She received a 40-day jail sentence (later reduced to 20 days), three years of probation, 120 hours of community service and was ordered to repay the $10,984. She served the jail sentence in February 2023.
The Bee reached out to Aguilar for comment. She never responded. She did, however, post on X shortly after The Bee reached out.
She attacked The Bee’s coverage of her and said that voters won’t care about her criminal record or history of antisemitic remarks, which she described as “things in my past.”
“Because people have seen how hard I will go for families and children,” Aguilar wrote.
Despite her criminal conviction, state law doesn’t bar Aguilar from seeking public office.
California law only prevents those convicted of a felony involving bribes, embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury or conspiracy to commit any of the aforementioned crimes from holding office, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
As Aguilar pleaded guilty only to a misdemeanor, that prohibition does not apply.
GARVEY OUTRAISES SCHIFF
Via David Lightman…
Republican Steve Garvey raised about $6 million in the last three months for his U.S. Senate race against Democrat Adam Schiff. Schiff raised slightly less.
In these final weeks, the latest Federal Election Commission reports indicated Schiff has more available to spend as of Sept. 30. He had $10.2 million on hand. Garvey had $3.8 million, but also $504,225 in debts.
Polls find Schiff is a heavy favorite to win the seat now held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., who was appointed to the position last year after longtime incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., died.
Schiff, a Los Angeles area congressman since 2001, has raised a total of about $45.2 million since he began his Senate campaign. Garvey, a former all-star baseball player, has raised $16.9 million.
GROUPS URGE CALPERS TO DIVEST FROM TESLA
A pair of organizations have sent a letter to Democratic California State Controller Malia Cohen, urging her in her capacity as a CalPERS board member, to vote to divest that agency’s funds from electric car manufacturer Tesla.
The two groups — LatinoJustice PRLDEF and the National Institute for Workers’ Rights — cited Tesla’s “anti-inclusion, anti-opportunity and anti-diversity stance as well as its record of discrimination against workers of color.”
The letter cited the history of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts dating back to the ‘60s that have led to companies with high levels of diversity outperforming those with low levels
“California’s public sector workforce is incredibly diverse, with 60% of civil service employees in the state being non-white. CalPERS itself has a workforce that is 58% non-white. You as a leader, and CalPERS as an institution, have both long been rightly committed to the values of DEI,” the letter reads in part.
Tesla, which is headed by conservative billionaire Elon Musk is the opposite of that. Musk is on record as saying DEI initiatives should “die,” at one point saying that DEI efforts make flying less safe.
The letter also cited Tesla’s record of discrimination against its own workers of color, leading to sanctions from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
“Tesla’s values are antithetical to CalPERS’. We therefore ask that CalPERS stand up for the values of diversity, equity and inclusion and divest public employee stock holdings from Tesla, Inc,” the letter reads, adding that divesting from Tesla will repudiate the company’s anti-inclusion position and condemn Musk’s “corrosive rhetoric.”
Tesla does not have a public relations department, and thus could not be contacted for comment.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I have not voted yet, and I’ve actually not read it yet. But I’ll let you know.”
– Vice President Kamala Harris, discussing California Proposition 36 as she prepared to board Air Force 2 in Detroit Wednesday. Hat tip to Bee DC correspondent Gillian Brassil for the quote.
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Kamala Harris says Trump economic plan will cost middle class households $4,000. Is she correct? Via David Lightman.
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After Newsom gas bill passes, Republicans call to delay climate vote that may hike prices, via Ari Plachta.
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