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Consulting Firm With Calderon Ties Banked Thousands in Central Basin Contracts

 

 

 

 

 

Gil Cedillo Jr., son of LA Councilman Gil Cedillo, managed the contract process.

By Brian Hews

Documents obtained by Hews Media Group – Community News confirm a Los Angeles based consulting firm, who acknowledged to HMG-CN a long personal relationship with the Calderon family, landed a lucrative public contract in November 2011 to help redraw political voting lines for the Central Basin Municipal Water District, despite the fact that they were the least qualified and the highest bidder.

Gil Cedillo Jr., hired in April 2011, oversaw the process despite having no experience in the field of redistricting. Cedillo Jr. was a former Field Director for Senator Ron Calderon.

See Cedillo Jr. document here.

In the proposal, CBMWD “sought an expert consultant in the field of redistricting to assist in the process of analyzing the 2010 United States Census Bureau data and provide recommended changes to the District boundaries.”

CBMWD accepted three bids for final approval. One from Golden State Consultants, owned by the late US Congressman and former California Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally, another from Redistricting Partners, co-owned by Matt Rexroad, who at the time was a Yolo County Supervisor, and a third from a little known firm called DeAztlan Consulting, run by Tizoc DeAztlan.

Dymally and Rexroad each boasted several large redistricting projects while DeAztlan had only five small projects.

In an interview with HMG-CN, Rexroad said, “once we saw Dymally at the bid presentation, we knew right then we did not have a good chance, Dymally would probably win the bid.”

Rexroad said his and Dymally’s presentation went well, each bidding $35,000 for their services.

DeAztlan’s presentation, according to one source, “had a couple misspellings and also referred to census tracts as census tracks.” The bid for their services was $40,000.

There was no way that any reasonable person who was in the room would have voted for DeAztlan,” said Rexroad. “We (Dymally and Rexroad) never heard of DeAztlan before this presentation and have not heard from him since.”

DeAztlan Consulting was awarded the contract.

After the presentation, one source told HMG-CN that they heard an angry Dymally say that, “the Calderons, using Gil Cedillo Jr., fixed the bid process and that’s why DeAztlan won the contract.”

Additional documents show that this was not the end of the gravy train for the DeAztlan Consulting family.

Toni DeAztlan, Tizoc’s daughter and an attorney in Los Angeles, signed an agreement, with Cedillo Jr., who was listed as Project Manager, for “Election Selection Services” on November 2, 2011 for “no more than” $25,000.

Gil Cedillo Jr. Project Manager

See Ms. DeAztlan contract here.

Ms. DeAztlan was paid the entire $25,000 in Dec. 2011.

The contract called for “studying the cost/benefit of moving the Nov. 6, 2011 election for Districts 1, 4, and 5 to June 5, 2011.” DeAztlan recommended the move to June 5, which was implemented.

That move benefited the now embattled CBMWD President James Roybal and Director Leticia Vasquez, who won their respective elections.

But the money to DeAztlan did not stop there. An examination of CBMWD’s check register revealed Ms. DeAztlan received $8,300 in May and June of 2012 for “Consulting” and another check for $8,400 in October for “Consulting-Election.”

HMG-CN has made a public records request asking for any documents, contracts, and emails related to the additional money paid to Ms. DeAztlan.

HMG-CN was also told by sources that Ms. DeAtzlan has retained George B. Newhouse, a high-powered public corruption attorney with the firm Brown, White, and Newhouse, based out of Los Angeles.

  • FLF says:

    More and more corruption from the KLAN Calderon! And how do we change this? VOTE for conservatives and NOT LIBERAL dumbocraps! If you do not change things NOTHING else will EVER CHANGE! But when you have the mentality of the low credibility officials and no information voters of Detroit you wind up with this crapola! Defining liberal democrat insanity: doing the same thing over and over, yet EXPECTING different results! WHEN will you dumb voters GET THIS?

    • P Lo says:

      Reread your own comment and tell me how dumb, ignorant and idiotic you sound! Idiots like you, who whine, pout, and rant like little children, must be the stupidest people on earth, how can you still question why no one wants to join the Republican Party when its filled with loudmouth nincompoops like you?

  • Greatful Reader says:

    Will the Central Basin Water District corruption never end? Thanks Community News, no one would have a clue if we didn’t have your great investigative reporting. The thugs and thieves are finally exposed, please keep on digging.

  • Wayne Carter Sr. says:

    It’s a problem that occurs as a result of greed, easy money and grotesque ignorance. And I’m sorry to say that I believe that in our Southeast communities, vultures prey on these type of characters. It is indeed unfortunate that in Central Basin, the two individuals who were elected last June fit this description perfectly!

    James Roybal and Leticia Vasquez enjoyed what they thought was a “free ride”. Rick Mayor and Angel Gonzales picked up the tab, until the election was over and the vultures swooped in (Ernie Camacho & company). Then the money began to really flow and the place really started stinking bad. Roybal and Vasquez didn’t put up a dime for their election! They were two stupid stiffs who could be used and they were. You simply cannot have broke people run for political office, they’re just too vulnerable. That kid in Compton, Isaac Galvan, is another classic example of this type. I suspect these three will see other in court one day, but of course we’re forgetting, they all know eachother from previous campaigns.

    And then there’s this Cedillo punk. He’s the flip side of those already in office, he’s the hack who gets the job done for those elected officials like Roybal and Vasquez who are told what to do by those vultures. It’s a vicious cycle all right. Daddy Gil and the Calderon’s were strategically placing their pawn in charge to get the entire sting in place for many years to come. Then the roof fell in. Redford & Newman would be proud of the scam these guys had running.

  • gilman says:

    You folks are doing a great job of covering this sophisticated and secret misuse of public funds for personal gain. Keep up the great work!

  • Michelle says:

    I strongly agree wit Gilman’s comment!

  • Smitty says:

    “Tizoc DeAztlan”

    I love the name, it really says “Fuck YOU America” it’s much better than “Mexican mafia inc.” especially for clueless gringos ignoring (While paying for) their own cities and utilities getting looted to pay for an alien invasion.

  • Harvey Levin says:

    Gil Cedillo Jr. was Ron Calderon’s Assembly Chief of Staff at one time and actually had the pleasuire of firing touchy feely Bob Apodaca. Guess what the reason was,? You got it, SEXUAL HARASSMENT!

    By the way, Toni DeAztlan is one HOT babe herself and very friendly. Too bad LCCN couldn’t find a picture of her to run? Hell, take one look at her and tell me if you don’t think Jr. tapped that???

    The circus that never leaves town……………..

  • Virginia Johnson says:

    It really would be nice if we could have good balance of Republicans and Democrats to get things done effectively instead of just voting “D” down the ballot line without thinking. I spoke with many people who say that is exactly what they do, shut their eyes and pick all Dems. That is sad.