Ex-City Councilman and former Hollister Mayor Brian Conroy
confirmed he was linked to the effort to recall District 5 San
Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz after it was discovered
the group’s
”
recall criminal
”
Web site was registered in Conroy’s name.
Hollister – Ex-City Councilman and former Hollister Mayor Brian Conroy confirmed he was linked to the effort to recall District 5 San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz after it was discovered the group’s “recall criminal” Web site was registered in Conroy’s name.
Conroy, the only person so far confirmed to be involved in the effort, would only comment by e-mail Wednesday. Conroy wrote he was not a spokesman for the group and directed all questions to the committee’s e-mail address, Web site, and hotline. Both the group’s www.recall criminal.com Web site and e-mail address were registered in Conroy’s name on January 20, according to records in the Network Solutions “whois” database.
On Monday, Conroy told the Free Lance, “I have heard that there’s such an effort. I’ve seen the press release. And I will certainly be involved in it in some way.” Conroy confirmed Wednesday he set the site up and would be involved in the recall effort.
The secretive committee planning a De La Cruz recall says it will remain anonymous despite distributing a press release Sunday night stating its intentions to try to force De La Cruz from office.
The committee’s press release claims De La Cruz committed voter fraud during last year’s heated District 5 election, deceived voters by waiting until after his election to admit to health problems, and maintained a frivolous lawsuit against the county and former Supervisor Ruth Kesler.
The press release states the group intends to launch a recall campaign but will wait until after De La Cruz has completed 90 days in office, as required by law. After De La Cruz’s first 90 days, which will be up early next month, the group would need about 1,100 signatures from District 5’s 5,000 voters in order to have a special election, according to the county’s Head Elections Official John Hodges.
When told Wednesday the recall site was registered in Conroy’s name, De La Cruz’s campaign adviser Ignacio Velazquez said he was not surprised.
“Of course it is. It’s the same group of people that made all the false allegations before. I think it’s part publicity, but I think what they fear the most is that all these allegations of corruption are starting to get attention,” said Velazquez, who along with De La Cruz is currently spearheading a campaign to recall District Attorney John Sarsfield.
Sarsfield said Monday he was not involved in the De La Cruz recall effort. But Conroy stated in his e-mail Wednesday he was not the only person interested in seeing De La Cruz ousted.
“There are many who wish to have the election over again, they want an election free of irregularities that plagued the March 2004 election. (Former Supervisor) Bob Cruz is not involved in this effort, nor are any other members, past and present, from the board of supervisors,” Conroy wrote.
While the group’s representatives still wish to remain anonymous, even signing their e-mails with only “The Committee to Recall De La Cruz,” they say they have good reason. Members of the committee, which is still being formed, would feel threatened if their names were revealed, one e-mail from the group stated.
Velazquez had other ideas about the reason for the group’s anonymity.
“That’s how they work; they’re cowards. What they do is go around making false allegations about people, then they try to get their friend the DA to say it’s a crime,” he said.
County Supervisors Reb Monaco and Don Marcus both said Wednesday they had not heard any details regarding the De La Cruz recall effort and did not know why its backers are being secretive.
If an effort to recall De La Cruz gets going in earnest, San Benito County could potentially be facing three recalls at the same time: the recall effort against the district attorney, the anonymous committee’s recall of De La Cruz, and the possible recall of three San Juan city council members who voted to fire Larry Cain from the city manager post earlier this week.
“It’s unusual, it’s very unusual. We’ve never had this potential even surface,” Hodges said. “There was a recall done in San Juan before, but it was quite a while back. They usually fizzle. There was that first attempt to recall Sarsfield, and there was one to recall (former County Supervisor) Ruth Kesler, but they usually fizzle. Recalls, that’s a pretty far-fetched way of getting somebody out of office.”
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
