Sen. Calderon’s lawyer says he’s done nothing wrong, claims ‘setup’
A lawyer for California state Sen. Ron Calderon, whose office was searched by federal authorities on Tuesday, is denying that his client has done anything wrong.
“The only one so far who has done anything improper is the government,” said the attorney, Mark Geragos.
Geragos has made a name for himself as a criminal defense lawyer for high-profile clients such as Chris Brown, Gary Condit and Scott Peterson.
IN DEPTH: Calderon targeted by FBI
On Tuesday, he said federal authorities are “out of control” and “should be ashamed of themselves.”
Geragos said he plans to go to court to ask that anything taken from the senator’s office be returned.
“The government has violated the law and we will take appropriate action to hold them accountable,” he added.
He declined to talk about any specific allegations against Calderon (D-Montebello).
Asked if the senator knew there was an investigation before Tuesday’s search, Geragos replied, “How would he know about something that is a complete setup?”
Federal authorities have declined to discuss the reason for the search, which extended to the office of the California Legislature’s Latino caucus.
Calderon was also defended by his brother Charles, a former state lawmaker who left the Capitol last year because of term limits.
“I was as surprised as anybody to hear about it,” Charles Calderon said. “I’m waiting to hear the facts, but I have all the confidence that when this is all done he will have been pulled into something that was not his doing.”
He declined to elaborate.
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