
California Assemblyman Roger Hernandez who represents AD-48
First, State Assembly Leadership Democrats briefly strip Assemblyman Roger Hernandez of hiring and firing powers because he has been accused of a DUI while driving a State Assembly car.
But, more importantly is the last sentence in the story which says, while everyone in and out of the 48th Assembly district awaits his blood test – that there may be other substances involved besides alcohol.
Hernandez was arrested March 27 on suspicion of drunk driving in Concord. At the time of his arrest, Hernandez was driving a state Assembly pool car, a Toyota Camry Hybrid assigned for Hernandez’s use in Sacramento.
The results from a blood test administered by the Concord Police Department after his arrests are expected by the end of this month.
Assembly leaders are concerned the blood test might come back positive for a substance other than alcohol, the source said.
Stay tuned….
Hat tip on this story to Scott Lay at The Nooner.
Well, I guess the crap hit the rotating appliance, politcal screaming has ensued by the majority California Assembly Democratic Leadership and Scott Lay has issued a sort of explanatory post (not on the web) about Roger Hernandez.
The problem is that the story has changed. Here was the original story in the Pasadena Star News in total as published at this link as of the time of this post:
State Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, was with a Kaiser lobbyist in state-issued Camry hybrid when he was arrested March 27 on suspicion of driving under the influence, sources said Friday.
After nearly a month of turmoil stemming from his arrest, Hernandez announced Friday that he has forfeited the use of a car from the Assembly motor pool. He has denied any wrongdoing.
“Having reviewed the Rules of the Assembly, I learned I should not have used a state vehicle for travel outside the Capitol to the Bay Area, and I apologize to my constituents and colleagues for doing so,” Hernandez, 36, a former West Covina City Councilman, said in a prepared statement. “I do believe pending test results will make clear that I was in fact driving within the law.”
Results from a blood test administered by the Concord Police Department after his arrest are expected by the end of this month, officials said.
Assembly leaders are concerned the blood test might come back positive for a substance other than alcohol, a source close to Assembly Speaker John Perez said Friday.
Jon Waldie, chief administrative officer for the California State Assembly, said Hernandez was given a “refresher course” on rules relating to the use of state vehicles.
“There is a policy that requests his car stay in Sacramento,” Waldie said.
Waldie said there are no rules covering after-hours socializing between legislators and lobbyists.
In 2009, Assemblyman Mike Duvall, R-La Habra, was caught on an open microphone bragging about his extramarital affair with a lobbyist. He later resigned.
Hernandez’s office declined further comment.
West Covina City Councilman Fred Sykes said the word of Hernandez’s arrest “broke his heart.”
“He has gone from a lawmaker to a lawbreaker,” Sykes said.
The longtime Hernandez supporter said the arrest sets a poor example for the young people who look up to Hernandez.
“It’s such a struggle to have someone rise to his level,” Sykes said. “He was an example of what I have tried to tell our young people to be.”
Now, here is the updated story which I linked above and Scott Lay referred to in his Nooner:
Democratic leadership briefly stripped state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, of his ability to hire and fire staffers, a state Assembly source said Friday.
The move came as the Assembly Rules Committee admonished the state lawmaker for driving a state car outside of the Sacramento area. It was rescinded after Hernandez relinquished the use of a state car.
Jon Waldie, chief administrative officer of the state Assembly described Hernandez’s announcement as “voluntary”.
“The Assemblyman has all the same rights afforded every member to hire and terminate their staff,” Waldie said in a statement issued Friday evening.
Hernandez was arrested March 27 on suspicion of drunk driving in Concord. At the time of his arrest, Hernandez was driving a state Assembly pool car, a Toyota Camry Hybrid assigned for Hernandez’s use in Sacramento.
The results from a blood test administered by the Concord Police Department after his arrests are expected by the end of this month.
Assembly leaders are concerned the blood test might come back positive for a substance other than alcohol, the source said.
Now, do you see the differences?
And, now some comments from Scott Lay who has been taking some flack from the Speaker’s Office (this is quoted from Scott’s e-mail release):
…In one of the strongest responses to a legitimate news source, the Speaker’s Office has issued denials to several of the alleged facts in the Pasadena Star-News article I linked to and quoted from earlier today.
Robin Swanson, Communications Director for Speaker Perez, states: “The National Enquirer has more reliable sources, and more responsible reporters and editors than the Pasadena Star-News and Glendale News Press. After speaking with an editor, it’s become clear to me that they are more interested in emulating a teenager’s online slam-page full of innuendo than in reporting actual facts.”
Assembly Speaker John Perez also released the following statement late Friday: “Like all Californians, Assemblymembers deserve due process and for all the facts to be presented. While that is taking place, I support Assemblymember Hernández’s decision to voluntarily relinquish his access to drive Assembly pool vehicles.”
San Gabriel Valley News reporter Frank Girardot says that he and fellow reporter Brian Charles “stand by our story.”
The story has been significantly amended since a Friday version, dropping the reference to a Kaiser lobbyist as passenger, saying Hernandez gave up the car “voluntarily,” and that he was only “briefly” limited in his ability to hire and fire staff. And, his reported companion’s affiliation is no longer in the story.
Anyway, I’m sure that this story has not run its course, but I have to agree with the Speaker . . . let’s let the facts come out through the investigation….
Now, tomorrow, I will be calling the Pasadena Star-News and find out what is what. And, I bet some other reporters will be asking Assemblyman Hernandez who was in the car with him when he was stopped for the alleged DUI.
In the meantime, we will all wait for that blood test which seems to be taking a long time (at least for us in the media) in coming.