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KCAL9 Investigative Reporter Dave Bryan Features HMG-CN In Expose on Gilbert Cedillo, Jr.

Publisher’s Note: We would like to thank our friends at CBS2/KCAL9 News here in Southern California for highlighting our recent Investigative Series on the Central Basin Municipal Water District and Gilbert Cedillo, Jr. this past Monday night. Investigative Reporter Dave Bryan filed the below report.  

TO SEE THE SEGMENT ON KCAL9 CLICK HERE!

LA City Councilman’s Son Stays Silent On Role In Calderon Investigation

KCAL 9MONTEBELLO (CBSLA.com) — The son of a Los Angeles City Councilman and former employee at a Southern California water district reportedly under federal investigation remained silent on his role in the federal probe Monday.
KCAL9′s political reporter Dave Bryan found Gilbert Cedillo Jr., the son of Councilman Gil Cedillo, at a meeting of the Montebello School District’s Personnel Commission, which he chairs. Asked to comment on the investigation, Cedillo Jr. ducked out the back door of the school district headquarters with the help of a commission staff member who blocked the way.
Cedillo Jr. was employed as a business development manager two years ago by the Central Basin Municipal Water District, which is widely reported to be under scrutiny, along with State Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) and his brother, Tom Calderon, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Before Cedillo Jr. was hired by the water district, he was the chief of staff for then-Assemblyman Ron Calderon and senior field representative for former state assemblyman Tom Calderon.
The federal investigation has included an FBI raid on Senator Calderon’s office at the State Capitol in June, and federal subpoenas for documents from the Central Basin Municipal Water District. Cedillo Jr.’s name was on the list of subpoenaed documents provided by the FBI.
“Gilbert Cedillo Jr. has played a major role in this particular situation with the FBI investigation,” said Randy Economy, editor of the Los Cerritos Community News, which has broken several stories about the investigation. Among them was news that the FBI is looking into Cedillo Jr.’s role in a possible corruption scheme, in which companies looking to Sen. Ron Calderon for help securing state contracts may have funneled political contributions and gifts to him through a middle man.

English: The Seal of the United States Federal...

English: The Seal of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more information, see here. Español: El escudo del Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI). Para obtener más información, véase aquí (Inglés). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“We do know that FBI investigators have been at the Central Basin Water District for probably I know at least one week, if not two weeks where they’ve set up camp there at the office to go ahead and pull documents and interview employees,” said Economy. “It’s a wide-ranging probe.”
Cedillo Jr. was hired as a business development manager two years ago for the Southern California water district despite evidence that he lacked the required degree for the position.
Along with Cedillo Jr.’s nearly $113,000 salary, the district also agreed to pay Azusa Pacific University more than $22,000, so Cedillo Jr. could get the appropriate degree. His position was created when he was hired and abolished when he left at the end of July.

 

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  • Harvey Levin says:

    I find it very interesting the link between the Cedillo’s and the Calderon’s. Prior to coming to Central Basin, Junior actually worked for both Tom Calderon when he was in the Assembly and then served as Chief of Staff for Ron Calderon when he was in the Assembly as well. Isn’t this interesting. By the way, didn’t Sen. Calderon’s most recent Chief of Staff hit the highway once fatso’s offices were raided? Guess it’s hard to get a loyal hack like Junior to “handle” family business interests these days.

    It has also been reported that after Central Basin’s Director Bob Apodaca pushed to hire his buddy Tom Calderon, Apodaca, who was then working for Assemblyman Ron Calderon, was fired from his job as Field Deputy. And who fired Apodaca, who else but his Chief of Staff Gil Jr. Needless to say, Apodaca was not in favor of Tom pushing to hire Junior. I also understand that Apodaca was terminated as a result of numerous sexual harassment complaints. Some things never seem to change?

    But what I really find interesting is that no one has made a big deal about another former Calderon staffer working at Central Basin, Joey Legaspi. Legaspi was hired just before Gil Jr. and he was behind creating all the positive press to divert attention away from Central Basin’s questionable contracts. What a devious plan these crooks concocted.

    I would hope Dave Bryan would ask Legaspi about his days working for the Calderon’s in Sacramento? What were the circumstances behind his hiring? Qualifications? Process to hire a position that 100’s of people could qualify for. Any prior water experience? So what does the righteous Leticia Vasquez think about this Calderon loyalist still walking the halls of the District?

    Dave Bryan and The Los Cerritos Community News have done a great job exposing the rats at Central Basin but need to zero in on Legaspi. He’s tried to lay low, but we all know that once a Calderon, always a Calderon! He needs to go if Central Basin is serious about coming clean.