| City of Maywood The Straight Dope On Maywood's Deputy Mayor Felipe Aguirre Sensational Death Threats Against Felipe: Cover for a Shady Background? The Editor, WatchOurCity.com Posted Monday, November 27, 2006 Maywood, CA - Felipe Aguirre, City of Maywood's deputy mayor, made sensational allegations that he was the victim of an assassination threat by the city's chief deputy city clerk Hector Duarte. The D.A. Investigated and charged Duarte with seven counts. On November 16, 2006, the L.A. Times reported that Duarte plead guilty to only one charge. End of story, right? Not really. This is where WatchOurCity.com picks up the Maywood trail. WatchOurCity.com did some digging and discovered: * All of Felipe Aguirre's allegations of death threats against him were dismissed. * What the D.A.'a office discovered proved to be too embarrassing to pursue charges brought up by Felipe Aguirre. * Deputy Mayor Felipe Aguirre reportedly lives in an office building not zoned for residential use. Vernon's mayor was indicted by the same D.A.'s office for voter fraud based on the fact that Vernon's mayor claims he lives in an office building. * Deputy Mayor Aguirre has not paid his federal income taxes in 2001 and 2004. According to anonymous sources, his council paycheck is allegedly garnished 100% for back payment of federal taxes. * Deputy Mayor Aguirre is allegedly also a dead-beat dad, where part of his garnishment goes to pay child support. * Mayor Villaraigosa depends on elected officials like Mr. Felipe Aguirre within his Southeast Council of Mayors to help him take over LAUSD. So the DA charged Hector Duarte with seven counts. Duarte was considered such a threat to public officials based on the allegations brought up by Felipe Aguirre that $1.3 Million was set as bail. Duarte had no prior criminal history. During the D.A.'s investigation of Mr. Duarte's alleged threats against Maywood's councilmen Felipe Aguirre and Thomas Martin, Mr. Duarte was held for three days before he was read his Miranda rights, according to an anonymous source. Then, on November 16, 2006, the DA struck a deal with Mr Duarte; he plead guilty to one charge, that of threatening Mayor Thomas Martin, down from the original seven counts. The original charges of threats against deputy mayor Felipe Aguirre were dropped altogether, evidently for lack of evidence. Investigators traced one call from Mr. Duarte to the young Mayor Thomas Martin with no evidence of what was said. That's it. That's all the evidence presented. Typically, if the District Attorney office files a case, it must win or plea out that case. In the case of Mr. Duarte and his alleged threats against the lifes of Maywood councilmen Aguirre and Martin, the DA had apparently some flimsy evidence or perhaps highly questionable evidence upon closer investigation. No evidence, no credible witnesses, no smoking gun....just the sensational TV press conferences by Felipe Aguirre. If the DA had such a strong case against Mr. Duarte and filed seven charges, why only get him on one charge (and the weakest charge at that)? Making a phone call may now be considered a threat, which is possibly backed by provisions in the Patriot Act. So only one count of guilty? Here's the story which the L.A. Times did not cover and the DA's office neglected to mention. The Threat Against Maywood's Deputy Mayor Felipe Aguirre The District Attorney's office reportedly had evidence that a note contained threatening statements. Curiously, the note had an address in Los Angeles that Mr. Aguirre used while handling city correspondence with Maywood city residents. The note allegedly stated that someone's "going to get him,"[presumably out to get Aguirre, that is]. During a pre-trial cross examination, Mr. Aguirre COULD NOT answer the simple question of where he lived! Isn't it bit odd that ALL the charges WERE DROPPED that were related to Mr. Aguirre? The DA can't put a KNOWN carpet-bagger on the stand. The DA can't put a KNOWN drug-dealer on the stand to testify as the DA's star witness. The DA at this point had NO CHOICE but to offer the deal or face humiliation when the these weaknesses and discredited charges were to be presumably exposed to a jury. Did the DA waste taxpayer's money on a witch hunt while destroying a young public official and kowtowed to the Mr. Aguirre's press conferences and TV appearances? Felipe Aguirre's Assassination Threat as Cover for a Shady Background What do the following series of letters and numbers, BD0347371, mean for Felipe Aguirre? These represent a court case number and is on a notice to withhold income for child support. Wages garnished from Felipe Aguirre's council salary for failure to pay child support from a divorce order (same case number in October 2003) is $1,250 per month and $312.50 for past due payment per month, according to public documents. According to a federal tax evasion order, Felipe Aguirre's council salary is reportedly garnished for $2,367.57 for failure to pay his 2001 taxes and $387.40 for failure to pay his 2004 income taxes. Felipe Aguirre as front for a Mexican Political Party? In August 2006, WatchOurCity.com posted on its home page a "Who's Who of Southeast Council of Mayors". Felipe Aguirre's profile states: "Deputy Mayor. Looks like an old-school PRI party crook, quacks like an old-school PRI party crook (the PRI is Mexico's long dominating political party with long history of corruption and penchant for shooting political opponents). Claims he was victim of assassination threat by deputy city clerk. Councilman Aguirre allegedly forced Maywood's police department to protect him at heavy expense to city coffers. Craves media attention while he hides hidden agendas." For the record, WatchOurCity.com would like to make the following clarification: Felipe Aguirre is not associated with the PRI. Instead he is a political operative of the PRD, Mexico's other political party. According to a news report from August 23, 2005 by News Max, an online news service, Felipe Aguirre was former California Chairman of Mexico's Democratic Revolution Party, or the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica (PRD), which is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's party that lost his presidential bid to Felipe Calderon Hinojosa of the PAN political party. During Obrador's reign as Mayor of Mexico City, he was dogged by allegations of corruption charges committed by some underlings and department heads. The News Max report states and later quotes Felipe Aguirre: "The leading contender for president is Andres Manual Lopez Obrador, the former mayor of Mexico City. His campaign lieutenant first spoke of a visit to Southern California in July during the inaugural of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa." "If Obrador visits on September 15, Mexico’s Independence Day, "we’ll have at least 100,000 people” lining the streets to see him, said Felipe Aguirre, former California chairman of Obrador’s Democratic Revolution Party (PRD)." Aguirre was cited as late as July 6, 2006 by the online news magazine "The Narco News Bulletin" as a "national advisor for the PRD in the United States", where he makes allegations that the Mexican political Party PAN rigged recent presidential elections.....this side of the border. Now, what business does an elected official in a U.S. city, presumably a U.S. Citizen, have being a political operative from a prominent Mexican political party? Efficiencies of Scale in Political Corruption with Southeast L.A. County Cities See what Huntington Park's Mayor is up to in Maywood and what Felipe Aguirre does not want you to know, despite his well known penchant for the sensational. Huntington Park's Mayor is good friends with Francisco Leal who is city attorney in both Maywood and Huntington Park, selected in closed door session in both cases and without competing bids. Leal's city attorney contract in Huntington Park capped his contract to $25,000 per month. Leal has been billing the city close to $80,000 per month, or more than three times the contractually stipulated cap. A clause in Leal's contract allows the cap to be exceeded but only with a majority council approval. Getting the three votes to vote for Leal is not a problem when Noguez controls the three votes. The same city attorney is on retainer as legal council for the Southeast Council of Mayors under L.A. City Villaraigosa's allegiance. AB 1381, the state legislature's bill, to become law in January 2007, gives special powers to southeast city mayors to control approximately 40 schools, 60,000 students and a $500 million budget in six southeast cities in L.A. County: Bell, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Maywood, South Gate, and Vernon. This would be equivalent to the 43rd largest school district in the entire United States, or about the same size as the Santa Ana Unified School District. (see WatchOurCity.com's report from August 16, 2006) The same attorney is calling the shots with who gets selected as police chief in Huntington Park and Maywood. Councilmen Felipe Aguirre and Thomas Martin conspired to hire Maywood's city attorney, Francisco Leal, in closed door session, with the only public explanation that they "needed new blood" (the editor begs to differ: perhaps what Aguirre and Martin Jr. meant to say was that they needed a new blood sucker?). Before that, Maywood's Aguirre and Thomas Martin Jr. voted to hire Jr's dad to a part- time $31,000 per year job, all the while firing and laying off other essential city personnel. And the D.A.'s office does nothing about the clear conflict of interest. District Attorney Steve Cooley is good friends with Rosario Marin, both fellow Republicans. She is the political mentor to four of five council members in Huntington Park. A book by Wiley Press states that Marin and John Noguez are one of fifty so- called powerful mentor-protege teams in the United States. Francisco Leal's selection as Huntington Park's city attorney without competing bids was spearheaded in a closed door session by then mayor Edward Escareno who was convicted in December 2005 for "Grand Theft", a felony. WatchOurCity.com's profile of Francisco Leal in the "Who's Who" home page section states: "Attorney Francisco Leal: Was hired in Closed Door session by Ex-Mayor and now convicted felon Edward Escareno. Was hired by Southeast Council of Mayors as legal counsel (co-author of AB 1381, Assemblyman Dario Frommer, is former employee of Leal's law firm). Quit on the heels of being fired by Alhambra Unified School District for being hired in closed door session and by threat of lawsuit by a parent. Was hired by Lynwood USD in closed door session without competing bids. Was fired by city of Commerce as its city attorney and is being sued for alleged bad lawyering and unjust enrichment. Is good friends with Rosario Marin and the entire California Latino caucus of legislators in Sacramento. While HP's sitting city attorney, he brazenly asked to be hired as city lobbyist as well. He negotiated the best possible deal...with himself, conflict of interest be damned. And city council approved. As city lobbyist in Maywood, Leal brazenly asked to hired as city attorney in closed door session and without competing bids. Dictates city policy and orchestrated, along with Mayor Noguez, to "fire" the old police chief and immediately hire a new police chief who worked the beat in George Cole's Bell before joining Maywood's finest." Escareno was the campaign manager for John Noguez, current Huntington Park mayor, during his 2003 election campaign. Maywood's Mayor Thomas Martin was a close political ally and closely associated with the disgraced Edward Escareno, now a convicted felon. According to the District Attorney's office, Mr. Hector Duarte, former City of Maywood Chief Deputy City Clerk, will be released on time served, given 3 years probation and anger management classes. Does the DA have sympathies and special regards for Rosario Marin's people in the Southeast cities? Stay tuned for Part II, coming next week. |
Copyright © 2006 WatchOurCity.com
WatchOurCity.
com
com
| Watch Southeast Mayors - Monday, November 27, 2006 |
See previous
WatchOurCity.
com reports on
Maywood:
WatchOurCity.
com reports on
Maywood:
March 21, 2006
Maywood:
Thomas Martin
& Conflict of
Interest
Maywood:
Thomas Martin
& Conflict of
Interest
Maywood's
Deputy Mayor
Felipe Aguirre
claimed he
was the
alleged victim
of an
assassination
threat by the
city's Deputy
Clerk.
Deputy Mayor
Felipe Aguirre
claimed he
was the
alleged victim
of an
assassination
threat by the
city's Deputy
Clerk.
| The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office issued a Press Release on Hector Duarte of Maywood on July 21, 2006: "LOS ANGELES – A former Maywood deputy city clerk has been charged with solicitation of murder and making criminal threats against a Maywood city councilman and the mayor, the District Attorney’s office announced today. Deputy District Attorney Sandi Roth with the Public Integrity Division said Hector Duarte, 29, was arrested late Thursday on a felony complaint for arrest warrant. He is charged in case No. VA096381 with one count of solicitation of murder, and three counts each of making criminal threats and threatening public officials. Duarte is scheduled to be arraigned today in East Los Angeles Court, Division 5. He is being held on $1.3 million bail. Duarte, who allegedly was upset about possible budget cuts that might reduce employee salaries or eliminate his job, is suspected of trying to hire someone to murder Councilman Felipe Aguirre. In addition, he allegedly left a threatening note in January in Aguirre’s employee mailbox. He also allegedly left threatening messages in January and again in June on Maywood Mayor Thomas Martin’s cell phone. If convicted, he’s facing more than 10 years in state prison." |
| On November 16, 2006, the L.A. Times published the following report: Official Pleads Guilty to Threatening Mayor From Times Staff and Wire Reports November 16, 2006 "A Maywood city official pleaded guilty Wednesday to threatening Mayor Thomas Martin. Hector Duarte, 29, a deputy city clerk, also was accused of threatening Councilman Felipe Aguirre, who made national headlines by trying to make the small city south of downtown a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Authorities said Duarte feared city budget cuts could cost him his job." |
February 23,
2006
Huntington
Park Chief of
Police Fired:
Maywood's to
Take over?
2006
Huntington
Park Chief of
Police Fired:
Maywood's to
Take over?
Francisco
Leal:
Maywood's &
Huntington
Park's city
attorney.
Leal:
Maywood's &
Huntington
Park's city
attorney.
| August 2006 WatchOurCity.Com's profile of Felipe Aguirre in "Who's Who: Meet The Southeast Council of Mayors" Felipe Aguirre: Deputy Mayor. Looks like an old-school PRI party crook, quacks like an old-school PRI party crook (the PRI is Mexico's long dominating political party with long history of corruption and penchant for shooting political opponents). Claims he was victim of assassination threat by deputy city clerk. Councilman Aguirre allegedly forced Maywood's police department to protect him at heavy expense to city coffers. Craves media attention while he hides hidden agendas to hijack the local water company which would extend his reach and control of many more millions of dollars, since Maywood is small city and has a limited general fund. Is friends with city of Bell's George Cole and is planning with George Cole not only a school take-over plan, but a Police Department take over plan as well. He's in talks with George Cole to create a Parks and Rec department for both Bell and Maywood. Declared city of Maywood to be a sanctuary for illegal aliens, not realizing that such a public policy carries heavy liability ramifications. Fires competent professional city staff, and hired good looking young women at $15 per hour to sit there and file their nails and whom reportedly also happen to be daughters of campaign contributors. But Aguirre would prefer that you talk about sanctuary for illegal aliens and alleged threats against him. The threat against Aguirre was reportedly discovered when a local crack cocaine addict fessed up to a Maywood police officer while being arrested for unspecified reasons and claimed that he was approached by Maywood's deputy city clerk to do a contract job on Aguirre. Has no education experience. Conspired with Thomas Martin Jr. to hire Francisco Leal as Maywood city attorney without competing bids. |
John Noguez,
Mayor,
Huntington
Park.
Mayor,
Huntington
Park.