Hank Trimble (l) and Kathy Navejas who has been seen in the city since the 2015 election.
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After former HG Police Chief Walter McKinney was rejected as City Manager, Navejas, according to documents, defamed Councilwoman Myra Maravilla in a Facebook post.
By Brian Hews
A Hews Media Group-Community News investigation has revealed that Hawaiian Gardens Councilman Hank Trimble received $1,000 in campaign donations from recalled and disgraced former Hawaiian Gardens Councilwoman Kathy Navejas for his successful 2015 City Council campaign.
Campaign documents showing the $1,000 donation from Kathy Navejas to Hank Trimble in Sept. 2015. Click on image to view larger document.
The campaign documents were obtained via a public records request from the Hawaiian Gardens City Clerks office.
In addition, the documents show that Terryl Bruce, the wife of embattled Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Barry Bruce, was Trimble’s campaign Treasurer, furthering the cozy relationship between Trimble and Mayor Bruce.
Campaign documents showing Terryl Bruce as Trimble’s campaign Treasurer. Click on image to view larger document.
Navejas gave Trimble the $1,000 in September 2015 and marked the donation as an individual with an address of 14449 Gleaners Rd. in Kingman, Arizona.
An internet search reveals that the Gleaners Rd. address is 30 miles east of Kingman, AZ., about 3 miles off of Interstate 40 on a dirt road in an extremely desolate area.
The nearest gas station is 17 miles away and the nearest restaurant is 30 miles away in Kingman.
A Google map does show a building at the address, and Zillow lists the structure as a 2,960 square foot manufactured home.
The area is so desolate no Google or Bing street images are available.
The location of a manufactured home, just below the red pin, presumably owned by Navejas at 14449 Gleaners Rd in Kingman Arizona. Click on image to view larger map.
The address is also the “principal address” for Angels Ranch Development Services, LLC, an Arizona company established on June 1, 2010; the Registered Agent on file is Navejas. No other information exists on the LLC.
The campaign documents also show that current Hawaiian Gardens Mayor pro tem Reynaldo “Rey” Rodriguez gave $200 to Trimble’s campaign on Oct. 2, and Hawaiian Gardens based Tacos San Pedro donated $500.
Campaign documents showing Hawaiian Gardens Mayor pro tem Rey Rodriguez’ $200 donation to Trimble. Click on image to view larger document.
Trimble in Trouble Before
This is not the first time questions have surrounded a Trimble City Council campaign.
HMG-CN exclusively reported in 2011 that Trimble’s wife Kathy registered to vote within the City of Hawaiian Gardens six months prior to the Nov. 2011 Hawaiian Gardens City Council election.
Kathy Trimble called her campaign committee “Trimble for City Council 2011-Supporting Honesty in Government.”
But in her ballot statement, which was mailed to all Hawaiian Gardens in the official “Sample Ballot Guide,” Trimble contradicted her residency status stating, “As a longtime resident of Hawaiian Gardens, my family, husband and friends have always known me to be of service to our residents.”
Kathy Trimble was backed by Navejas and Mayor Bruce but lost her election bid.
Now Hank Trimble will come under fire from residents and others for accepting the largest single donation from Navejas, whom a majority of Hawaiian Gardens’ residents despise.
It was first reported by HMG-CN weeks ago that Navejas, along with Mayor Bruce and Mayor pro tem Rodriguez, wanted to hire convicted felon and former Hawaiian Gardens Police Chief Walter C. McKinney as the City Manager.
Bruce scheduled an unusual 3:30 pm meeting on a Friday to vote for McKinney but was rebuffed by the union and residents in a contentious meeting.
It looked as if Bruce had lined up three votes: himself, Rodriguez, and Trimble, but later on in closed session McKinney was not hired. Sources told HMG-CN that both Rodriguez and Trimble, seeing the union reaction, had second thoughts.
HMG-CN has requested the “report out” of the closed session but was told that Mayor Bruce said, “there was nothing to report.”
HMG-CN has emailed HG City Attorney Kendra Carney of Woodruff, Spradlin and Smart for clarification.
Councilwoman Myra Maravilla was incensed at the meeting.
Maravilla read a letter during public comment blasting the situation caused by Bruce, Rodriguez, and Navejas.
Maravilla referenced the hiring of McKinney and the presence of Navejas, “Capable, hardworking, and experienced union workers are being overlooked and supplanted by alleged convicted felons and disgraced former politicians. In short, due process is being replaced with cronyism in our small city.”
She also referenced the harassment at City Hall after the Dec. 2015 election, and the apparent disregard of the situation by Trimble.
“These last few months our city workers have been repeatedly trampled. Who hasn’t noticed that their hours have been slashed, new members have been hired with limited hours and no benefits, and positions have been left unfilled while many who wait have been denied opportunities to flourish within their departments.”
Referencing Kathy Navejas, Maravilla wrote, “Not long gone are the days of recalled councilmember, yet her influence abounds again in the city. Ask yourselves, how likely would you be to welcome her ideas and vision back into our city government? I say these things not to scare you, but to create awareness. There is too much at stake tonight.”
Navejas did not waste any time in slamming Maryville, possibly defaming and libeling the Councilwoman in a Facebook post, while praising the actions of Mayor Bruce and others.
Screenshot of Navajos’ Facebook post. Click on image to view larger document.
“It’s a handful of self serving people. I donated money to that (Myra) maravillas campaign and she’s bad mouthing everyone. There’s some bad demons in that city and there souls. They need to be grateful and all that bunch only cares about themselves. Sad. (Mayor Bruce) Barry’s the best!”
HMG-CN obtained Councilwoman Maravillas’ campaign documents that showed Navejas did not give money to Maravilla.
Click on image to view PDF of all of Maravilla’s campaign documents.
Law.com defines defamation as the act of making untrue statements about another, which damages his/her reputation. If the defamatory statement is printed or broadcast over the media it is libel. Public figures such as Maravilla have to show that the defamation was made with malicious intent and was not just fair comment.
It is unknown whether or not Maravilla will sue Navejas, but according to the definition it appears she has good cause to sue.
Maravilla told HMG-CN, “In a comment published online and in various conversations with residents, disgraced former Councilwoman Kathy Navejas stated that she made a monetary contribution to my campaign. My campaign finance records show this is blatantly false. I would never take a contribution from any person who lacks integrity, especially someone whose actions have done so much harm to the community that I care so deeply about. No elected official should ever accept contributions from an individual with such questionable ethics.”
The local unions are not taking this lightly, voting unanimously two weeks ago to recall Bruce from his position, and possibly Rodriguez.
Union representatives told HMG-CN that,” many organizations have pledged their support for the recall, they will not let this city go back to the Navejas days.”
HMG-CN sent an email to Trimble with no response.
OMG here we go again!! Kathy Navejas was DIRECTLY involved in so much graft and corruption back in the mid 1990’s ya needed hip waders to stay above all the crap!! She was flinging bull crap in all directions and you just tried not to have any hit and stick to ya!! Myself along with many others were involvded in doing a RECALL of her and other city councilmen of dubious repute. She was so devious we all called her the “Dragon Lady” after the notorious rotten villan of the old comic strip “Terry and the Pirates”..We had prior warning about Trimble’s wife, thankfully she was NOT elected! But Hank got in via patience, voter apathy and amnesia!! Where ever Kathy or her minions are there will be suspicious and irregular unlawful activity! I would never trust her in any undertaking. She has about as much credibility as the entire democrat congressional delegation in DC!!!