(ORANGE COUNTY, CA) – Criminal attorney Pete Hardin was recently caught on tape insulting Orange County and its voters, calling them the “ugly stepchild” to Los Angeles.

In addition to the derogatory comments about Orange County, Hardin can also be heard bragging about his plans to buy the election with the help of millions of dollars from the same billionaires and Super PACs that propelled George Gascon to office in Los Angeles, and Chesa Boudin in San Francisco.

The cherry on top is found in Hardin’s official campaign filing documents, which reveal he is a resident of Los Angeles County.

Hardin’s comments and residency shine a spotlight on his brazen attempt to parachute into Orange County, a community he looks down on with disdain, to install the same woke version of criminal justice reform that has failed so miserably in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“These chilling tapes make clear that Pete Hardin wants to destroy public safety in Orange County by buying this election and implementing the same radical, pro-criminal agenda that has been an unmitigated disaster in places like Los Angeles,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

“The woke criminal justice movement represents an existential threat to our community, and I am going to do everything in my power to keep Hardin and his billionaire buddies the hell out of Orange County,” Spitzer continued.

The audio, along with the below quotes, can be heard in the latest ad from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s reelect campaign: https://vimeo.com/604283647

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin on Orange County:

“A lot of our brothers and sisters, uh, Angelenos, uh, sort of think of us as the ugly stepchild perhaps.”

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin on buying the election:

“There are all these groups across the country that are interested in criminal justice reform, Real Justice PAC, Smart Justice California, Courage California, I’ve met with all of them, developed relationships with all of them, they’re extremely interested in this campaign…But some of them are big PACs that can put a lot of money into a race. You know if we can raise a million dollars, great, we’ll do everything we can. But that might be chump change compared to what some of these outside groups can bring in.”

Criminal attorney Pete Hardin’s official campaign filings:

About Todd

Todd Spitzer has dedicated his life to keeping families safe and was inspired to dedicate his career to public service as an Orange County Supervisor, former California State Assembly Member, and now as the Orange County District Attorney. A champion for public safety, District Attorney Spitzer is recognized as an expert on security issues, whose reputation as an advocate for victims’ rights is respected nationally. Spitzer chaired the ground-breaking campaign for Proposition 9, Marsy’s Law, the nation’s most comprehensive Victim’s Bill of Rights, and served as State Co-Chair for Proposition 83, the nation’s toughest sex offender punishment and control law as well as Proposition 69, which requires the collection of DNA samples from all felons.

Fighting to protect our community, he joint-authored Megan’s Law on the Internet, the landmark legislation requiring the release of public information related to sex offenders and as a former deputy and assistant district attorney he handled complex criminal matters while managing line prosecutors. As Third District Supervisor, he secured Orange County’s first year-round, supportive housing shelter for the homeless, established an Ethics Commission, gained passage of pension reform measures, and strengthened public safety oversight by expanding the Office of Independent Review.

Spitzer earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA (1982), a master’s degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley (1989), and a Law Degree from UC Hastings School of Law (1989). While at Hastings, Spitzer was awarded the George Moscone Fellowship, for the law student dedicating his career to public service. Spitzer is a former high school teacher and reserve police officer assigned to DUI enforcement and patrol duties. He is a doting father of a son and daughter and a dedicated husband to Judge Jamie Spitzer, Associate Chief Judge for the South, Division of Workers’ Compensation.