LA County Sheriff Candidate Todd Rogers, Political Operative Threaten HMG-CN Reporter During Interviews

Kristin Otto Herzog second from right, with LA County Sheriff’s Candidate and current Assistant Sheriff Todd Rogers, center, at a cigar lounge fundraiser.

HMG-CN Staff Report

Los Angeles County Sheriff candidate Todd Rogers and his top campaign advisor Leo Briones both made threatening statements to Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper staff during a series of telephone conversations last Friday afternoon after HMG-CN inquired about their relationship with Kristin Otto Herzog.

Herzog made headlines around the world back in 2010 when Hollywood based TMZ reported that he was “a convicted felon with a history of firearms abuse” and had been involved with Iksana Grigorieva, who is the former companion of actor Mel Gibson.

Herzog denied that he was ever convicted as a felon in a Friday conversation with HMG-CN.

HMG-CN then received a four-page print out of Herzog’s past encounters with law enforcement showing several arrests on felony charges, which Herzog claimed some were dismissed.

HMG-CN has been investigating claims that Rogers had been in contact with Herzog who owns and operates a private bodyguard company based in Hollywood.

HMG-CN was sent a picture of Rogers standing with Herzog and others at a fundraiser outside a cigar lounge and was told, “there are other photos besides this one.”

Rogers, who touts himself as a “reformer you can trust,” is the current Assistant Sheriff in Los Angeles County and the mayor of Lakewood.  He is hoping to replace his former boss Lee Baca as Sheriff in next Tuesday’s primary election battle.

Leo Briones, Rogers top political consultants scoffed when asked if there was a relationship between Herzog and Rogers.

Herzog said he was encouraged to attend the fundraiser.

“Briones threatened HMG-CN staff in a telephone interview saying, “This is total bullshit. This is not good for the County.  Fucking Todd would not do this.  This is fucking (Paul) Tanaka’s people doing this on Todd.  I want to warn you before you publish these photos.”

Briones, who first said that the photo of Rogers and Herzog was “probably altered (by the computer program Photoshop), subsequently back-tracked and said that Herzog has not “given us any money.”

Briones went on to say that Herzog was “not a convicted felon.”

“Herzog showed up to a fundraiser. We aren’t taking money,” Briones said.

Then Briones told HMG-CN, “Todd will kill you if you publish these photos.”

“This is a dumb story.  If you print this, Todd Rogers will kill you.  You do not want to go there.  Why are you messing with this (situation),” Briones said.

After the exchange, Rogers called HMG-CN and denied that he has had any past relationship with Herzog.

“I haven’t gotten a dime (from Herzog),” Rogers said.

“We are checking his criminal history and this is asinine to have to qualify what took place,” Rogers told HMG-CN in the phone interview.

“These guys are coming out of the wood work. There were lawyers there at the campaign event.  I have events every day, I can’t police who comes in and out of my events,” Rogers said.

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