Cristina Garcia admits not have Doctoral credentials to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper. She is running as a Democrat in the 58th Assembly District that goes from Bell Gardens to Cerritos in Southeast Los Angeles County.
(UPDATED FRIDAY AT 2 p.m.)
By Brian Hews
In a stunning announcement, Democratic State Assembly candidate Cristina Garcia admitted that she does not have a Doctoral degree from the University of Southern California less than one month before voters decide her fate at the ballot box.
Garcia is in a tight November election campaign in the newly drawn 58th State Assembly District against Downey businesswoman Patricia Kotze-Ramos.
Los Cerritos Community Newspaper broke the news on Thursday afternoon about the Garcia admission.
Garcia has campaigned heavily on “cleaning up corruption” and for “open transparency in Sacramento.”
Garcia told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in a statement on Thursday afternoon:
“In my campaign literature for state assembly, I stated that I have a PhD from USC. While I have finished all of my course work, I technically am only a PhD candidate. I have yet to finish the final process of my PhD, which is defending my dissertation. I will fulfill that final responsibility in the near future.”
“As such, I take full responsibility for using the term PhD instead of PhD candi¬date in my campaign literature. For that I humbly apologize and ask for the for¬giveness and understanding of all the voters of the 58th Assembly District,” Garcia said.
“The facts of the matter are these. In the fall of 2009, I completed all my required class work and took my qualifying exams to receive my PhD in Public Adminis¬tration for the University of Southern California. I completed my dissertation in 2010. My dissertation included a more than one hundred pages thesis detailing social barriers that discourage volunteerism among women in the United States. Woman participating in public service is something near and dear to my heart,” she said.
“It is the reason I decided to vigilantly participate in anti-corruption efforts throughout southeast Los Angeles County. I have included a copy of my tran¬script to provide documentation of these facts.”
“Again, I ask forgiveness and understanding of all the voters of the 58th Assembly District. I remain dedicated to helping to provide the people I hope to serve with government that is transparent and ethical,” Garcia concluded.
Kotze-Ramos, who is challenging Garcia for the newly created Assembly seat told LCCN, “I did know that Cristina lied about her credentials. I think it is commendable that she came forward to tell the truth. It is not the worst thing in the world. I am not into mudslinging. This campaign is about who is going to be the best representative for our community.”
Kotze-Ramos, who oversees a private investigation business, said she did not “know what prompted Cristina to make this announcement”
“It is not good to lie,” Kotze-Ramos said. “Did they not expect that this would eventually come out in the public light?”
“The fact is the lie is out, no PhD from USC,” Kotze-Ramos said in a written statement on Friday to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.
“Democratic 58th State Assembly District candidate Cristina Garcia admitted that she does not have a Doctoral degree from the University of Southern California as she had previously claimed. It’s unfortunate Garcia lied about education and deceived the voters in the primaries. Garcia stated she had a PhD from USC, which is not the truth,” Kotze-Ramos said.
“The platform that Democratic State Assembly candidate Cristina Garcia promotes on her website is, ‘Reform, Ethics and Transparency.’ She is quoted saying, ‘I believe that if we don’t have ethical elected officials, then we can’t have government that works for us. It’s that simple.’ I am not going to pass judgment on my incumbent, I’m sure she is enduring the consequences of her decision. The voters will decide her fate at the ballot box.
COPYRIGHT BY LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER.
Republishing Granted with Attribution to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.
Well well well a democrat caught in a lie.. how hard is this to understand SEEING as how the DC regime of the O’vomit messiah has done it so well in Libya! IF anyone votes for this woman they will get all they deserve, not what they want, but DESERVE!
From the longest time, it has been known that she has not had a PhD…and all this time she has lied to everyone. Talking about cleaning corruption…do you really think that she is an example of cleaning corruption if she can’t clear up her OWN lies? Oh I forgot, she created this group called BASTA in Bell that divided the community and only benefits the Bell Police Officers Association. See this:
http://watchourcity.com/Index_Bell_CristinaGarcia_No_PhD_10-7-10.html
I also heard a rumor that she was paid by Leo Briones to run the BASTA organization in Bell from funds of the Bell police association. Although they did some great work, it seems that the whole BASTA movement was created to maintain the police contract with the city. The relationship with Briones (campaign manager) & consultants (HOPE-PAC who endorsed her) on staff with CA Forward that she received her “Forward Thinkers” distinction in conjuction with this election cycle.
This woman has done so much for southeast cities that one honest mistake should not result in a campaign issue. We need more good hard working people like her in our political system. With her leadership city of Bell is free of the so called “Bell 8”. Once in the assembly we wish her the best and look in to corruption in Maywood, HP, Bell gardens….
hmmmmmm……..very interesting. Did she or did she not know that she was misleading the public? I wonder what USC has to say about this issue? Will she face expulsion, etc?
A Norwalk Councilmember (candidate) should be forthcoming and this is what I intend to do as I “address” the issues for my campaign. VOTE HYLLAND, Norwalk City Council 2013.
How can you call a lie an “honest” mistake? Lieing is NOT honest. Lies catch up with you and you just keep lieing. Trust is gone when you lie. If you excuse 1 lie you are setting yourself up for alot of them. She’s soooo!!! done when this gets out. The public can’t afford to have someone like her in ANY office. Good-Bye Garcia.
“LET HE IS WITHOUT A SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE”.
Yes she is not perfect are you? At least she has done the work to be qualified for her PH-D, unlike John Perez and Juan Nuguez who haven’t even applied for higher education and claim they have degrees .
Deveil has many faces is this concilman N.V of city of Bell calling him self Cherry. Hay N.V look for honest job stop extorting people of Bell, Maywood, Maywood water co #3 . Yes this guy is extorting Maywood water co# 3 ask Andrew Turner the water co’s lawer. Yes , N.V is trying to hide MW#3 vast theft and cruption the board has lost the proxy election but they are not giving up the board that’s why they hired this curpt concilman to stop the new board to take over. N.V is charging thousands and thousands of dollars to just inspect the proxy for Aug 22 2012 election , can someone ask N.V why after 7 weeks the election hasn’t been decided ? Yes more time more money for this LOSER N.V.
Ms. Garcia is ready to lead. She has inspired the people of Bell to work toward the democratic process and make change.She will , in the assembly, make progress in a community that has stayed stagnant for years. I am so proud of this young progressive, working for the good of the people.
She says she is “committed to transparency and ethical government”? Excuse me? It’s wasn’t a mistake, it was a diliberate attempt to fool people…remember the other corrupt official on your post Randy? A guy named Noguez…we can’t afford to vote for another future corrupt elected official…and I’m a democrat!
People should know the truth about her…whlle in Bell, something she glorifies, she was a hired gun, she was PAID by the Bell POA to promote their corrupt department and eventually elect three numbskulls SELECTED by the Bell POA. She doesn’t do public work because she cares, she does it because there’s LOTZ of money to lobby! Do not vote for this trash!
.. in leaving out the candidate, it appears the politics of the southeast will generate subterfuge rather than acknowledgement of the future qualifications of a viable political candidate.
Sounds like her dissertation is an indefensible load o crap, LCCN should get a copy of her “scholarly dissertation” and post it, I bet it’s embarrassingly shallow.
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OK, we forgive you. Now go finish your dissertation, and come back when you’re done.