The county’s Democratic Central Committee will vote Thursday night on whether to advance its endorsement process by a month, and the result could have a dramatic impact on the San Jose mayor’s race.
Your search for jail returned 763 results
Xavier Campos’ Mother Has No Recollection of Fictitious Business Filing
Reached by phone, Rosa Campos, mother of San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos, said she had no recollection of fictitious business filings related to her son’s campaigns. The business filing for “Xavier Campos for School Board,” created in July 2004, lists her, Xavier Campos and incarcerated former county supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. as copartners. When asked why the filing was created—none of the dozen elected officials, campaign consultants and county and state election officials reached by San Jose Inside had heard of such a practice—Rosa Campos said she wasn’t sure. “I need to talk to my son,” she said. “He caught me off guard. I don’t even remember. Like I said, that was 2004.
2014: The Year in Preview
San Jose Inside takes a look at some of the biggest stories to come in the year ahead.
2013: The Year in Review
The year 2013 will be remembered for its political turmoil, local and nationwide. A former county supervisor went to jail and the spotlight subsequently landed on his political buddy, a San Jose councilman. The Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to get married, and the president lied to the nation about domestic spying. San Jose Inside runs down the list of stories that caught our attention this year.
Karyn Sinunu-Towery Ends Career on Top
Very few people go out on their own terms, but there’s no doubt that Karyn Sinunu-Towery finished on top. The prosecutor wrapped up a 30-year career in the District Attorney’s office by successfully sending former county supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. to jail in her final case, and she handed off what seems to be a strong case involving Shirakawa and political mail fraud. Last week, colleagues honored her accomplishments with a cash bar fiesta at the De Anza Hotel, where junior and senior attorneys clinked cocktails as equals for minutes at a time.
FPPC Expands Xavier Campos Investigation
The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) confirmed Thursday that it has expanded its investigation into San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos’ 2010 campaign. Earlier this week, San Jose Inside reported that Campos and incarcerated former county Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. created fictitious business filings with the county Recorder’s office under identical names as their campaigns. The unconventional finance practice could have allowed the two men to funnel campaign contributions into secret bank accounts.
Xavier Campos, Shirakawa Filed Fictitious Business Accounts with Campaigns
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office seized documents in a Thanksgiving eve raid that implicate Xavier Campos’ campaign in funding the red-baiting political mailers that helped him win a seat on the San Jose City Council. Now, records obtained this week by Metro/San Jose Inside suggest that the District 5 councilmember engaged in a highly unconventional campaign finance practice—one used by the incarcerated former county supervisor—that would have allowed him to establish phony campaign bank accounts that could have gone undetected by agencies monitoring election spending.
Xavier Campos’ Campaign Paid for Illegal Flyers, Warrant Reveals
A search of George Shirakawa Jr.‘s home the day before Thanksgiving turned up evidence that suggests Xavier Campos’ 2010 City Council campaign paid for materials to create a fraudulent political mailer that helped the San Jose city councilman get elected. The mailers portrayed Campos’ opponent, Magdalena Carrasco, as a communist to East San Jose’s Vietnamese voters, and Shirakawa’s DNA was found on a stamp affixed to one of the mailers. Campos ended up winning the primary election against Carrasco by 20 votes and later won the runoff.
Shirakawa Appears in Court; Judge Delays Setting Trial Date in Mail Fraud Case
George Shirakawa Jr. shuffled into court Wednesday for the first time since being sentenced to a year in jail. The former county supervisor wore a red jump suit and his wrists were shackled to his waist while his ankles were shackled together. Except for a whispered exchange with his attorney, Jay Rorty, Shirakawa didn’t say a word during the brief proceeding.
Magdalena Carrasco to Run Again Against Xavier Campos for Council Seat
San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos will face a familiar opponent when he runs for re-election in the June 2014 primary. Magdalena Carrasco, who lost the 2010 race for the East Side council seat by a slim margin, quietly filed papers this week to give it another shot.
Judge Denies Motion to Reseal Shirakawa Grand Jury Transcripts
Judge Griffin Bonini denied a motion by George Shirakawa Jr.‘s defense attorney to reseal grand jury transcripts pertaining to the incarcerated former county supervisor’s alleged role in a political mail fraud scandal.
County Considers Expanding Drug Treatment Programs
Santa Clara County needs more drug rehab housing for convicts slated for release under the state’s 2011 prison reform measure. On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors will consider allocating $526,000 to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services to pay for up to 130 more treatment beds by the end of next month. Other items on the Board agenda include skydiving permits, vaccinations, a new fire chief for South County and a $225,000 grant to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley.
The Shirakawa Grand Jury Transcripts
George Shirakawa Jr. is currently spending his days in the Santa Rita Jail infirmary, while his county-provided attorney is attempting to seal grand jury transcripts that shed new information on his alleged role in a political mail fraud scandal. Since the documents remain public for the time being, San Jose Inside has decided to publish the grand jury transcripts in their entirety.
Keep the Change Going: Addressing Income Inequality in Silicon Valley
Income inequality is one of the biggest problems in Silicon Valley. We have at least 48 billionaires in the Bay Area alone. Yet, we also have thousands of people who struggle to survive working low wage jobs. Even the recent increase in the minimum wage in San Jose is not enough to live in an area where housing prices have soared, transportation costs continue to increase and most people have a negative net worth. But as individuals, we can make a difference.
San Jose State University Suspends Students Charged With Hate Crimes
San Jose State University suspended three white students Thursday after the District Attorney charged them with hate crimes. The three young men allegedly fastened a bike lock around their African-American roommate’s neck—twice—while also racially bullying him and locking him in his bedroom.
Why NBC Bay Area’s Reporting on Xavier Campos is a Sham
As previously noted in this space, it’s nearly impossible to get Xavier Campos to agree to an interview. It helps, however, if you have a close relationship with the media-dodging councilman like NBC’s Damian Trujillo, who scored a rare on-camera chat last week. What did we learn from Trujillo’s interview and a follow-up report? Hardly anything. But we did learn plenty about Trujillo and NBC Bay Area.
