Obscure ‘Elect Noguez Committee’ Poured Thousands into Campaign Coffers

UPDATED ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 at 12:20 p.m. Gov. Brown, Controller Chiang, Congress members in 2010 included in payments.

By Brian Hews and Brian Hews

 

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper has found a campaign fund controlled by jailed Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez that was established in 2010 to donate contributions in the tens of thousands of dollars to some of the most powerful politicians in California including Governor Jerry Brown, State Controller John Chiang, at least two members of Congress, and local city council members.

The committee was called the “Elect Noguez Committee” according to documents filed with the California Secretary of State.  The treasurer of the political action group is Martha Castaneda, who currently resides in Noguez’ home in Huntington Park. She also serves as Noguez’s Executive Assistant inside the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.

Noguez was jailed in October and is facing dozens of felony charges for money laundering, perjury and other allegations in what Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley called “the biggest political corruption case” in his 40 years as a criminal prosecutor.

In the filings with the Secretary of State in late 2010, the “Elect Noguez Committee” doled out more than $85,000 in contributions that were directly sent to Brown’s campaign for Governor, Chiang’s campaign for Controller, as well as donations to Los Angeles Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Judy Chu, Signal Hill Councilman Larry Forrester, Hawthorne City Council candidate Alex Vargas, and even to California United States Senator Barbara Boxer.

The Elect Noguez Committee also poured more than $7,500 into the campaign efforts of Huntington Park City Council Member Elba Guerrero, and  as well as $2,256.00 to the Committee to Support Gomez, Hernandez and Perez to the Huntington Park City Council.  Mario Gomez, Ofelia Hernandez and Rosa Perez are all close allies to Noguez on the Huntington Park City Council and all three of them in addition to two other city council members are the target of an aggressive recall campaign by several local residents.

Rosa Perez has said publicly that she has never received money from John Noguez.

The Elect Noguez Committee was the beneficiary of major donations from groups, and employees with direct ties to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.

Andrew C. Stephens, a developer with the Artisan Growth Opportunities Fund donated $6,000 to the committee. Developers Rouholan and Parvin Esmailzebeh donated at least $4.000 and Developer Edmon Peykar from the Peykar Family Trust also donated more than $4,000 records confirm.

Noguez also gave $3,000 into the committee.  The largest contributor to the fund was Aide Fregoso, who according to the filing with the State of California is the owner of a company called “The Pink Horses.”

Noguez was also paid $2,000 from his Elect Noguez Committee.  Robert Meraz, his long time companion who is also one of his top executive staff members at the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office was also paid $1,500 from the committee.

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper will have additional updates on this developing situation over the next few days.

COPYRIGHT. Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.  All Rights Reserved. 2012. Republishing Allowed with PROPER ATTRIBUTION.