The FBI, IRS, District Attorney and U.S. Attorney’s offices have joined forces and combined their collective investigative weight in order to tackle political corruption in Orange County.
While details remain scarce as to the specific target of the task force’s investigation, one thing remains clear: these investigations are not without consequence. In Riverside County, investigations at the hands of similar task forces have gone as far as issuing search warrants for the personal homes of councilmembers.
Inquiries into the political corruption in O.C. date as far back as the 1950’s, when collaborative investigations of this magnitude successfully prosecuted fireworks magnate W. Patrick Moriarty for bribing public officials. And more recently, former O.C. Sheriff Carona was sentenced to federal prison as a result of a 2008 FBI investigation.
A rift between the County and a Grand Jury has been manifesting since April, when the latter suggested that the County form an ethics commission to keep tabs on the its political dealings. The County has caught the attention of California’s Fair Political Practices Commission, who has launched a probe into the business of a number of the Supervisors as well as board members for CalOptima, the County’s $1.5 billion dollar health plan.
Read more at the Voice of OC.