By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – A new TV ad takes aim at Republican Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, who has been indicted on criminal corruption charges along with his wife. View it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSPbbLKlQug&feature=youtu.be

“Every citizen has a responsibility to read this indictment. Forty-seven pages of  corruption and greed. Duncan Hunter Jr. stealing campaign funds for lavish vacations and gifts, defrauding wounded warriors, insulting our military,” states the ad funded by Hunter’s opponent, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.  

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

August 31, 2018 (San Diego's East County) --Long-time East County politician Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), likely didn’t intend to end his tenure in the California State Senate with accusations that he recently made a threat to strike a female lobbyist at the Diplomat Steakhouse Restaurant, across the street from the state Capitol in Sacramento.

Anderson, who is running for State Board of Equalization now that he is termed-out in the Senate, denies making a threat and says his words were misunderstood in a noisy restaurant.

Lobbyist Stephanie Roberson with the California Nurses Association has filed a complaint with the Senate Rule Committee. Another lobbyist who witnessed the incident said that Anderson approached Roberson to complain that the group didn’t endorse him. He allegedly made harassing comments about Roberson’s appearance and then said, “You better shut up before I bitch slap you.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 30, 2018 (El Cajon) – Approximately 20 elected officials and candidates running for local offices are slated to participate in tonight’s Poiltics in Paradise event.  Sponsored by five local Chambers of Commerce, the event will be held at the Water Conservation Garden from 5:30 to 8 p.m.  Attendees will have the opportunity to meet candidates and ask questions at their candidate booths.

Update: This bill has been signed into law by Governor Brown.

By Miriam Raftery

August 29, 2018 (Sacramento) – California could become the first state in the nation to generate 100 percent of its power from renewable energy resources. A bill by State Senator Kevin del Leon would require California to reach that goal by 2045. The measure has passed both houses of the Legislature and is now awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s signature.

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2018 (San Diego) – In his prior five campaigns for Congress, Duncan D. Hunter waltzed easily to victory over his Democratic opponents with margins of victory ranging from 17% in 2016 to a whopping 42.8% in 2014. But a new poll by Survey USA of likely voters released Monday, days after Hunter’s indictment on federal corruption charges, shows him with a mere 7%  lead over Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.

Hunter stripped of committee assignments over "deeply serious charges", House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledges

Update: August 23, 2018: Congressman Hunter and his wife have entered not guilty pleas. ECM news partner 10 News has details: https://www.10news.com/news/rep-duncan-hunter-set-to-be-arraigned-follow....

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Congressman Duncan D. Hunter and his wife, Margaret, have been indicted on federal charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and falsifying campaign records to take over a quarter of a million dollars in campaign funds and use them for personal expenses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced yesterday.

The indictment alleges that the Hunters also falsely represented personal expenses as purchases made to help wounded veterans and other charitable causes. in addition, a letter from Hunter's attorney to the Justice Department reveals, prosecutors suggest campaign funds were spent on "extramarital infidenlities and excessive drinking."

Despite positive changes, budget clouds loom as city draws on reserves for operating expenses

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

August 16, 2018 (Lemon Grove) -- Members of the Lemon Grove City Council and other city officials are grappling with concerns about a major budget deficit poised to sour the city’s future. The problem has led to media speculation that Lemon Grove might give up cityhood and become part of the County’s unincorporated area.

Yet, to a packed-to-the-rafters community room, recently-elected Mayor Raquel Vasquez painted a positive picture about the city’s many accomplishments in the past year and its challenges in the coming year. During her first State of the City address last week, the Mayor did raise the city’s financial dilemma, but not seeds for solutions over the long term.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo: Bessmon "Ben" Kalasho, August 2015

August 9, 2018 (El Cajon)--An exclusive investigation by East County Magazine has uncovered a criminal case in which El Cajon Councilman Bessmon “Ben” Kalasho pled guilty to two counts of workers’ compensation fraud in October 2015 (court case #MD094871).  View full documents. 

Kalasho was on probation for his crimes, both misdemeanors, when he ran for and won his seat on the City Council in 2016. He remains on probation until October 1, 2018. He was also fined.  

His criminal record did not come to light during the campaign because he ran for office as Ben Kalasho without listing his real name, Bessmon Kalasho, with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Kalasho has pulled papers to run for El Cajon City Council again in November.   

East County News Service

August 5, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Ammar Campa-Najjar has picked up a high-level endorsement for his bid to unseat Congressman Duncan D. Hunter in the hotly contested 50^th Congressional district race. Former President Barack Obama this week announced his endorsement of 81 candidates, including Campa-Najjar, boosting the local contender into the national spotlight.

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – The filing deadline to run for local offices is August 10^th.   We checked with El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee to find out which seats are on the ballot, and who has taken out papers declaring an intent to run for city council or mayor so far.  Below is the list of prospective candidates to date, though more candidates may file, and prospective candidates are not confirmed until they turn in signatures and meet verification requirements to qualify for the November ballot. 

If you are interested in running, you have until August 10 to pull papers and turn in the required signatures from registered voters in support of your candidacy. Since some city offices are closed on Friday the 10th, be sure to check with your local jurisdiction.

City Council and Mayoral races are officially nonpartisan; however, some officials tout their endorsements or affiliations with political parties. For those candidates, we have listed their affiliations.

East County News Service

July 31, 2018 (Alpine) – Congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar will be at a meet and greet open to the public at the Alpine Community Center on August 25^th from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is hosted by Alpine resident Anne Craig-Tillmond. 

East County News Service

July 24, 2018 (San Diego) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA-53) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02), ranking member and chairman, respectively, of the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee and co-chairs of the Congressional Apprenticeship Caucus, today introduced the Accessing Professional Partnerships and Resources to Enable Necessary Training and Improve Career Education (APPRENTICE) Act.

By Jonathan Goetz

July 23, 2018 (El Cajon) – George Gastil, a former Lemon Grove Councilman and history professor at Grossmont College and San Diego State Univesrity, opened the inaugural meeting of the East County Leadership Council (ECLC).  The newly formed 501c(3) nonprofit organization has a mission statement to promote “quality discussion of politics and public policy in the East County region of San Diego County.”

Wacky or worthwhile petitions?  You decide

By Miriam Raftery

July 21, 2018 (Sacramento) – California’s Supreme Court has blocked a controversial initiative from appearing on the November ballot, pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. That measure sought to split California into three states. However, 11 other initiatives have been approved by the state’s Attorney General for circulation to collect signatures.   

Before you sign any petitions, read below for summaries, or click the link below this story for full details on these proposed initiatives ranging from practical to bizarre.

One proposed ballot initiative seeks to make California a separate nation. If passed, the Legislature would be required to declare independence from the United States, but there’s no Constitutional provision allowing a state to secede – and secession efforts by southern states are what led to the Civil War.  Any attempt to secede would likely require an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which takes approval of both houses of Congress and ratification by two thirds of all the states.

Another initiative proposal would ban local governments or special districts from spending bond money on anything not in the bond measure. 

East County News Service

July 18, 2018 (La Mesa) – Dr. Akilah Weber, a physician who is the daughter of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, has announced she is running for the La Mesa City Council.

If elected, she says her three top issue priorities will be public safety, health and wellness, and housing affordability.