By Brian Hews
The ongoing recall of Artesia Mayor Ali Taj and Councilmen Miguel Canales and Victor Manalo is being financed by dark money donations and continues to operate illegally and in violation of the Political Reform Act and California Fair Political Practices Commission laws.
If more than $1,000 is spent on any campaign, a committee must be formed and registered with the FPPC so voters can ascertain who is financing and working for the recall.
But, according to the Artesia City Clerk, the proponents of the recall have not filed or opened a committee.
The leading proponents include Artesia residents Rene Trevino and Dorothy Kane, along with Cerritos resident Gurpal Sood.
Cerritos resident Melinda Kimsey is also helping Trevino, publishing questionable articles about Taj and the councilmembers in Kimsey’s newsletter.
Pictured (l-r) Rene Trevino, Melinda Kimsey.
Cerritos Fine Arts and Historical Commissioner Janet Beach and reporter Jerry Bernstein are also involved with Kimsey’s newsletter.
Janet Beach and Jerry Bernstien.
In September, an expensive robo-call hit Artesia, frightening residents while talking about the “lack of safety” along Pioneer Boulevard.
One week later, a recall signature-gathering event was held in front of the Flame Broiler in Artesia, which is reportedly owned by a recall proponent.
Recall signature gatherers have been seen in front of Stater Brothers market in Artesia asking for signatures to get the recall initiative on the ballot and also have been going house-to-house in Artesia.
Finally, long-time recall campaign manager Chris Robles was seen at the same Flame Broiler; Robles is known to work with local trash haulers in recall campaigns.
Robles was also seen with Kimsey and Kane posting legal notices pertaining to the campaign.
Robo-call, signature gathering, and Robles’s participation strongly indicate that the recall campaign has likely exceeded $1,000 in expenditures, which triggers the FPPC reporting requirement.
Each violation carries a maximum $5,000 fine.
It is additional strong evidence that the recall aimed at Taj, Manalo, Canales, is a blatantly corrupt movement with unknown motives that has exhibited graft and corruption from the very beginning.
Trevino and Sood submitted their “Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition,” with what they said were valid signatures in May of this year.
But according to Taj, Canales, and Manalo, the petition contained fraudulent signatures and signatures that were obtained by false statements.
The three, with their allegations, accused Trevino of fraud, forgery, and perjury.
And other Artesia residents backed those allegations.
On May 23 HMG-CN reported that the recall campaign was invalidated due to questionable signatures.
Many residents on social media confirmed what HMG-CN published, that Trevino and Sood were misleading residents to get them to sign the petitions.
Now the campaign is illegally skirting state finance laws in receiving dark money to finance their efforts.
Texts into Trevino, Kimsey, and Bernstein went unanswered.
