Capizzi Correct in Prosecuting Carmony

Apples are apples and lemons are lemons. But it appears your columnist Kenneth Khachigian can’t tell the difference.

In his June 8 column, he accuses Dist. Atty. Michael Capizzi of an “atrocious double standard” for prosecuting Rhonda Carmony and Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) for crimes connected to the Republican establishment’s attempt to deceive voters in the Doris Allen recall election.

Khachigian thus joins hard-line Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) in attacking the county prosecutor for prosecuting. At the same time, this duo shows absolutely no concern about the alleged election-law violations. Apparently whatever Republicans do to win is OK.

The apple here is nomination papers fraud. How did the district attorney respond to allegations that Democrat Linda Moulton-Patterson had also done that in the same election? He charged her. And she faced that charge with responsibility and pleaded guilty.

Neither Khachigian nor Rohrabacher attacked the district attorney in the Moulton-Patterson matter. Same charges, same election. Apple to apple. No Capizzi double standard. Rather a Khachigian-Rohrabacher double standard.

Khachigian says Capizzi displayed a double standard because he didn’t follow up on allegations Khachigian made in 1993 that school people were opposing a school voucher ballot measure whose campaign Khachigian was managing. That’s not the same issue. It’s not an apple; it’s a lemon.

I do sympathize with Carmony and Baugh, because they are pawns, perhaps willing, of a ruthless and unforgiving Republican establishment that acts as if it believes “winning is the only thing.”

WILLIAM STANTON

Garden Grove

It is difficult, if not impossible, to believe that Rhonda Carmony, alone, orchestrated the sleazeball operation that propelled Scott Baugh to Doris Allen’s seat in the California Assembly.

It is also difficult and even more impossible to believe that Assemblyman Curt Pringle and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher were not intimately involved. Further, Carmony and spoiler candidate Laurie Campbell had to be willing and eager participants in the entire mess.

The Republican troglodytes financed the reprehensible maneuver and can take no satisfaction in buying an Assembly seat for a man who is proving laughably ineffectual. In addition, the scheme accomplished nothing as the Democrats regained control of the Assembly a few months later.

JIM REDDON

Laguna Beach