AD-73 Update – Did Bill Brough Launder Money to a Fake PAC? How About the $7613 for his 50th B-Day Party?

Bill Brough is in a lot of trouble.

Women are getting the courage to tell their stories after a few years of silence. Female victims of Bill Brough’s rampage including Lisa Bartlett, the Realtor from Laguna Beach, and two staffers who have reached your intrepid blogger. We’ve been told that upwards of 7 women may well have filed complaints with the Assembly Rules Committee. (One of which was a re-filed case that was blown off in 2016)

Bill Brough would have you believe that the swamp in Orange County is coming after him. Fight to the death he says. The problem is that it is precisely the swamp that is attempting to defend him in the form of Fred Whitaker and Pat Bates. (Again, this is my belief and I’ve laid out reasons why in previous posts)

As the political noose tightens and the scrutiny intensifies, more is being revealed.

When you take a look at Bill Brough’s Campaign finance records, a lot pops out.

Remember the shiny new Burbon Barrel? The Cigar Humidor and Cigars? A “Fundraiser” with 3 people that cost $1200? The “Retirement Party” that cost $2360? The Westin Copley Place diversion for a trip to a RedSox Game? $1800 to the Capitol Grille for a “Strategy Meeting” on 12-12-2017 when no one is at work legislatively?

Interestingly, Brough’s Campaign finance reports are littered with questionable expenses. We will continue to lay those out.

In today’s installment of the Tour-De-Brough, let’s address two notations to Brio Restaurant. 8-14-2018 for $4,000 and $9-10-2018 for $3613. Billed as a campaign event, according to whistle-blowers and sources, the event corresponds to Bill Brough’s 50th Birthday. Brio Restaurant happens to be Bill Brough’s favorite drinking spot and its’ owner is a personal friend. (This is so you understand why the expenditure is suspicious, not an allegation that the owner of Brio is involved in anything) Having witnessed a number of fundraisers, $7613 seems to be extreme for the cost of an event. The FPPC should look in to this and get checks and receipts to justify the extremely large expense. At best this is a grotesque waste of money.

People who know where Brough lives understand that Brio is close to the waterfront house Bill Brough is renting / residing in, in Dana Point. (At least public records do not show Brough owns that house) A couple weekends ago, Mr. Brough was vacationing and drinking in Catalina with its’ owner as well. You will see that Brio is on his campaign report a lot for “Fundraisers” and “Campaign events”.

As I type this blog, Bill Brough is preparing to go on another $12K-$15K junket to Ireland for the Irish Caucus. Being in office has its’ perks I guess.

In California, the Statute of limitations for Felony Money laundering appears to be 5 years. Misdemeanor is 1 year. I am not sure what type of money laundering Brough appears to have committed in 2013-2014, but it appears in either case he may well be in the clear for prosecution and I am not sure if the FPPC still has jurisdiction.

Take a look at the embedded screenshot from Bill Brough’s 2014 committee report from the 7-1-2013 thru 12/31/2013 reporting period.

Isn’t it odd that it says returned to committee in 2014? Before the lawyers descend with hair-splitting legal nuance, let’s look at all of it.

You see $13,000 earmarked as “Returned to Committee” in the 7-1 thru 12-31-2013 report.

Then when you pull the 1-1-2014 thru 3-17-2014 report you see another notation for $1500 and a miscellaneous increase to cash of $7500.

Then on 4-23-2014 $2500 is returned and 5-14-2014, another $4500 is returned.

It looks like excess contributions were laundered. Or money was floated on paper to an entity that never existed. Where are the receipts? Where are the checks? Who “donated” the money? What was the source of the money?

Worse, extensive research shows that the South County Taxpayers may well have never existed. There are no records of it in Orange County and it does not come up on the Secretary of State’s Office.

Now, given what we’ve documented about Bill Brough’s campaign finance – including over $13,000 worth of Verizon Wireless Bills – this looks to be just another in a growing list of fraud against his donors.

P.S. Don’t forget what’s at stake – another Republican Scandal on top of Duncan Hunter that could cost us even more at the ballot box while the bumbling, inept Chairman of the OCGOP does nothing. There are several pivotal election races in the area where this is exploding.

In February of 2015, Assemblyman Bill Brough followed me into the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel and sexually battered me by pressing his erection against me and saying, “You know I’m really into you, right?” I was shocked and disoriented and stammered something about being married. I’ve no idea why I said those particular words, but he replied, “So am I.” This happened after almost two years of subtle and overt attempts to initiate an intimate relationship with me. At all times, he has been in a position of power over me. When the un-welcomed conduct began, he was a Chief of Staff working for the Assembly and I was a district representative working for the Senate. The power imbalance remained when he became a legislator and I accepted a governmental affairs position that required me to lobby state legislators, the position that I still hold…