Sen. Ron Calderon’s office and California Latino Caucus raided by U.S. Attorney and FBI

The Montebello offices of California State Senator Ronald Calderon were empty late Tuesday afternoon. Randy Economy Photo

UPDATED AT 9:35 P.M.

By Brian Hews and Brian Hews

The Sacramento offices of Senator Ron Calderon along with the California Latino Legislative Caucus were raided by federal officials including the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI early this evening.

Officers raid Sen. Ron Calderon’s office. EXCLUSIVE PHOTO PROVIDED TO LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER from www.watchourcity.com

The raids began shortly before 5 pm, a former California State Assemblyman who did not want to be identified told LCCN that officers converged on Calderon’s office “en masse.”

Sources also tell LCCN that other state lawmakers involved with the Latino Caucus are being targeted.

Several calls into the offices of Senator Ron Calderon were not returned this evening and his District Office located in Montebello appeared to be empty tonight.

Senator Ronald Calderon is considering a campaign in 2014 to become Assessor of Los Angeles County.  The current Assessor John Noguez is the focus of the largest public corruption case in the history of LA County. Calderon told LCCN that he was “exploring the Assessor’s office as an option in 2014.”

Officials from the FBI and US Attorney’s Office raid the Sacramento offices of California State Senator Ronald Calderon on Tuesday late afternoon. Photo provided to Los Cerritos Community Newspaper from www.Watchourcity.com.

“This afternoon, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation served search warrants in the State Capitol at the office of Senator Ron Calderon and in the Legislative Office Building at the Latino Legislative Caucus office,” said Tony Beard, the Senate’s chief sergeant at arms, in a statement to the media.

“Those warrants are sealed by order of the Federal Court; therefore we have no further information,” he said. “The Senate has and will continue to fully cooperate with the agents in this matter.

Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the agency in Los Angeles, said the search involved two locations, both related to the same investigation. She declined to discuss the investigation in any detail.

Neeki Bianchi, a special agent in Sacramento, said the investigation is “not a public safety issue.”

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that famed Los Angeles Attorney Mark Geragos is representing Calderon.  The Bee is reporting thatr, said prosecutors “have no case,” and accused them of acting inappropriately in disclosing that the FBI was conducting a search.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office should be ashamed of themselves,” Geragos told the Bee. “They have no case, so what they do is they leak the sealed information in an effort to hassle innocent people, and that’s all the comment I have.”

Geragos also told the Bee, “What they’re going after is anything to divert attention from their own misfeasance or malfeasance.” “All I know is that it’s very easy to make an allegation when you’ve got search warrants that are under seal and don’t have to defend it, and they should be ashamed of themselves.”