Why is DPOC Chairman Frank Barbaro keeping his treasurer in the dark about party finances?
Orange County Democratic Party Treasurer Reggie Mundekis barely survived an impeachment effort Monday night, coming within one vote of being removed from office by the Central Committee. Mundekis, a controversial party activist, has publicly raised questions about the Democratic Central Committee’s lack of transparency on internal finances. The vote to impeach her was 33-19, just short of the required two-thirds majority, according to the Voice of OC.
Among those trying to censure and impeach Mundekis was Orange Juice blogger, and Occupy lawyer, Greg Diamond. On the one hand the guy is grousing about banks – and an Occupier, but when Mundekis tried to tell local Democrats the truth about the DPOC’s finances, Diamond had a cow. How typical.
What is Orange Juice blogger Greg Diamond trying to cover up?
Several DPOC insiders even tried to hold the impeachment election privately – and they even tried to boot the Voice of OC reporters from what should be a public meeting. For shame!
Fortunately, my old friend Jeff LeTourneau, “a newly elected Central Committee member who chaired the meeting, opted for a public session.” Good move Jeff!
The DPOC hacks were also angry that Mundekis paid off their former Executive Director, Gerrie Schipske. Are you kidding? Why would the pro-labor DPOC try to stiff a former employee? What a joke!
Here is what the hacks charged Mundekis with, in a letter that was posted by the O.C. Register:
On October 20th, at a meeting of the Council of Democratic Clubs, Reggie Mundekis presented herself as the Treasurer of the DPOC and made comments disparaging Frank Barbaro and others about the financial arrangements of the DPOC in regards to the Truman Dinner. She also stated that Mr. Barbaro was withholding new bank account information and refused to provide information of who has access to those accounts to her. She also passed out a DPOC Financial statement to non Central Committee members.
In addition, several emails have been circulated by Reggie Mundekis to selected groups both inside and outside the membership of the DPOC giving a similar perception as to the finances of the DPOC.
Ms. Mundekis also made substantial expenditures without Democratic Party approval.
It sure sounds like DPOC Chair Frank Barbaro is breaking the law:
“I have never seen one single bank statement,” Mundekis told delegates. “I do not know where your money goes. After Durkee and Associates went out of business, I stopped receiving signed copies of contracts.” Barbaro said county Democratic Party officials had opened a new bank account after the Durkee indictment. Mundekis said she wasn’t included in those plans.
Even Liberal OC blogger Chris Prevatt has recognized that something fishy is going on at the DPOC. Prevatt wrote a post today acknowledging that “Party activists have told LiberalOC that Mundekis had been instructed by Barbaro towithhold financial reports from the Central Committee, and its Executive Board.”
Prevatt also wrote that ” Barbaro decided to cut Mundekis out of the picture opening new bank accounts and withholding all information about Partyfinances. As the Party was struggling to conduct it’s annual Truman Award Dinnerfundraising event, Mundekis was out of the loop.”
Time to call the FBI back in again…
UPDATE: Here is a list of the DPOC hacks who signed the letter sent to their Central Committee members, in a now failed attempt to impeach their Treasurer:
- Frank Barbaro, Chair
- Anita Narayana, Secretary
- Jesus Silva, Northern Vice Chair
- John Smith, Region 16 Director
- Louise Stewardson, Western Vice Chair
- Stephen Blount
- Ken Burke
- Lindy Burke
- Rosalind Freeman
- Jackie Hartfield
- Art HoffmanMadeline Jensen
- Gary Kephart
- Scott McKown
- Molly Muro
- Shawn Roselius
- Marti Schrank
- Mitch Star
- Cyril Yu
Diamond is a Paper Tiger.
Dig Deep.
I see that Dan and Chris have finally been forced to address what I have been bitching about for a YEAR!
What a bunch of hacks.
“There are no bigger WHORES to the machine than those who are not willing to stand up.” WR HEARST
The LOC are perfect examples of that.
I WISH CHMIELIWINSKI WOULD NOT CENSOR ME POSTS, WE COULD HAVE DISCUSSED THIS A YEAR AGO!! But Barbaro and Bernardo, Yarbourough and Dido said NO WAY!
So now they are doing damage control. LOSERS
I sure would like to interview that DPOC treasurer…
“I sure would like to interview that DPOC treasurer…”
Really? You want me to put you in touch with Reggie Mundekis? Could do, sounds interesting…
I think you should interview her, if Diamond will let you write about this.
Oh, now that is trash talk. “If Diamond will let me.” Diamond checks with ME when he thinks I might not be comfortable with what he’s gonna post.
I was really offering to e-mail you Reggie’s e-mail. You two might get along. I got no horse in this, but I can see you’re motivated!
Vern,
What do you mean, “I got no horse in this”?
I would think as someone who has long been active in the DPOC you would have great concern about this. We’re talking about the finances of the county operation and transparency by those charged with overseeing them. Of course you have a “horse” in this.
I would have expected you of all people to have come out and express an opinion of some sort. Even the Long Beach resident weighed in on this, though he now appears to be back peddling from his initial comments. Why the silence on the OJ about this?
“Pork Chop” Diamond’s not gonna let Vern write about this. He’ll just buy him a cheap bottle of hooch and tell him what he wants to hear just like everyone else does with Vern.
By no horse I mean I’m not sure who I would have sided with. I know Reggie as a very difficult person to get along with, but still my knee-jerk reaction when I hear the word “transparency” – like anybody – was, yeah, more transparency!
But then when I went to the linked OCV article and saw the deals Reggie seems to have made with Schipske, who bailed back off to – hey! – Long Beach as soon as Durkeegate broke, I realized, hey this is way more complicated than I thought. And I’m not gonna weigh in any more until I know a lot more. Unlike some people who just know what clique they’re in and what clique they’re against.
With no comment I’ll tell you two the little group you’re defending: Misha Houser (actually my pal), Reggie Mundekis, Florice the union lawyer Hoffman, and the dearly departed Gerrie Schipske. Your new clique. Confused now?
Also, it is “backpedaling” like pedals on a bike.
Democrats and transparency, I laughed so hard I also broke a gut.
Vern,
I am not defending anyone or siding with anyone, though I do believe that if Reggie is the elected treasurer she should be granted access to the banking/financial records.
I am just surprised that your blog having two very active Dems with ties to the DPOC that you have not weighed in on the issue.
You fellas had time to write two posts about Santa Ana but never even mentioned the whole fiasco at the DPOC which you actually have more knowledge about than you do my city.
Thanks for the spelling lesson.
Ding, dong, check the Orange Juice! 🙂
Mr. admin, what did you really mean when you wrote “I sure would like to interview that treasurer”? I made the mistake of taking you seriously, maybe? Please tell us if you really want to.
Any reasonable person would do what I have done, that is to stop reading, commenting and supporting the OrangeJuiceBlog which became the pro Zionist communistic propaganda crapola under full control of the fatso Zionist Diamond, and the second fiddle (piano) communist Nelson.
Do not support scam!