Heath Flora. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Assembly Frat Office and Fundraising Party Scheme
Kentucky Derby trips for ‘fundraising?’
By Katy Grimes, April 3, 2024 2:45 am
It seems that every few years in the California Legislature, a group of legislative “frat boys” find themselves in hot water. It’s not unique to California – who can possibly erase the imprinted images of U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd and their famous “waitress sandwich” incident(s), detailed in a 1990 article in GQ magazine.
While the Kennedy/Dodd incident is particularly egregious, offensive, and constituted assault, any frat boy atmosphere in a legislative body undermines professionalism and can turn toxic quickly.
The Globe is in possession of a photo of a pool table in Assemblyman Heath Flora’s office, in place of a conference table, taken by a Capitol source inside Flora’s office.
Big deal, it’s a pool table. Right? We are told there is also a a dart board. (Gasp. Does CalOSHA know?)
However, while this might be expected from a juvenile member of the Legislature, Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) isn’t just any member of the Assembly – he’s the number #2 in leadership to Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), and the policy leader for the Republican Caucus.
We know that there are many stressful days in the Capitol, and letting off steam occasionally is necessary.
But for politicians who are constantly concerned about optics (i.e. perceptions), the fraternity/pub atmosphere in an Assembly leader’s office is not a good look.
Flora also recently voted “Yes” to pass AB 610, the $20 per hour fast food minimum wage exemptions bill, while Republican Leader Gallagher voted “No” on AB 610. Since when does a Republican floor leader – the number 2 guy – vote against the number 1 guy? Flora also did not vote against a Medi-Cal tax bill (his second questionable vote in one legislative session).
But those are just perplexing, questionable issues. “Flora the Explorer” as the Assemblyman is known, has a penchant for the ponies – as in Kentucky Derby ponies. Assemblyman Flora started a ballot initiative committee, which appears to raise money for the sole purpose of taking lobbyist friends to the Kentucky Derby – at least the last two years of his mandatory reporting indicates this.
Assemblyman Flora’s mandatory FPPC Form 460’s reporting “Recipient Committee Campaign Statement,” show Flora raising money for a ballot initiative, but spending the funds on trips to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2023, “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee,” accepted $70,000 in contributions, and spent $65,572.53 on travel, lodging, meals, tickets and beverages, for a “fundraising event” in Kentucky. (see full document below)
The contributions for 2023 to “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee,” were $35,000 from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America California Initiative Fund, and $35,000 from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund (ccpoa Tag Fund).
In 2022, “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee,” spent $41,634.47 on travel, lodging, meals, tickets and beverages, for a “fundraising event.” (see full document below)
This is the summary:
Schedule G shows the $30,000 that went to Churchill Downs for “5/5 to 5/8/22 Tickets, Meals and Beverages for fundraising event.”
Schedule A shows the contributions:
In 2022, “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee,” received $25,000 from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America California Initiative Fund, and $5,000 from Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians Temecula.
Kara Bogetti was provided $30,000 for “5/5 to 5/8/22 Tickets, Meals and Beverages for fundraising event.”
Vu Guesthouse in Louisville, KY, received $11,024.37. Vu Guesthouse in Louisville, KY is “specialty lodging”: “A stylish boutique hotel set in a converted tobacco warehouse near downtown Louisville. Unique throughout; trendy rooms are moody and romantic with dark hues, dramatic bed heads, and heavy drapes. An atmospheric cocktail bar is a lively spot. An adult-only stay, ideal for city exploring,” according to the Hotel Guru.
Has this committee ever made a legitimate expenditure – other than travel, meals, lodging and events? It appears to be a giant slush fund operating under the guise of “fundraising” for Assemblyman Flora and his lobbyist friends.
The Frat boy Pub office pool table and dart board is questionable judgment – but the “fundraising” trips (for a ballot initiative) to the Kentucky Derby appear rather dubious. It’s insulting and offensive to voters when elected lawmakers take annual travel junkets to foreign lands during spring break. But if a lawmaker is raising funds for a “ballot initiative” that ends up being a travel and entertainment junket, voters must ask why, and for what purpose.
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What do I know, I don’t live in and am not very familiar with this guy’s district, but you would think that with Asm Heath Flora’s long-time reputation as a ‘squishy Republican,’ the guy would have been challenged by a decent Repub candidate somewhere along the line since he was first elected in 2016. But for the general election in November his opponent in the ‘top two’ is an American Independent Party candidate. Yikes. American Independent Party is a wacky fringe party, yes? —- NOT ‘no party preference’ or ‘independent,’ which is sometimes confusing for voters but as most readers here well know. This further dicey information from Katy Grimes about Heath Flora only piles on to the problems with this assemblyman. Very good to know about it, though. But how about coming up with a decent Repub candidate to challenge this guy next time around?
Assemblyman Flora isn’t just a squishy Republican, he’s a traitorous RINO who might as well be part of the criminal Democrat mafia? It’s curious as to how he keeps getting elected, but then he might be getting installed into office with voter fraud and rigged voting machines like so many of his Democrat cronies do?
Thanks for saying it straight, TJ. And yes, it certainly does look like some funky election cheating must have been going on when a backstabbing RINO walks away with nearly 75% of the vote in the primary.
Katy, Keep exposing the corruption on all sides of the political spectrum. We do not need wolves in sheep’s clothing leading in a corrupt manner. Actions such as what the Assemblyman from Ripon is doing will be addressed and rectified. Corruption only lasts for a season and when that season is over the house of cards comes crashing down. The first step in bringing about his crash is exposing his actions. You have thoughtfully exposed him. Good Job!
The grift is real on both sides of the aisle.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
There was no election interference. No rigging or cheating. Flora has won his elections handily since his first campaign. And that is expected, as most of the community know his family or have interacted with him firsthand, and as a sociopathic narcissist, he is charming and disarming. The perfect political candidate. Most voters don’t know, or remember, a candidate’s voting record as they’re filling in their ballot. They’re voting for the person. And up until recently, Flora seemed like the kind of person the community wanted: a humble farmer, firefighter, and family man. But finally, as it always does, the truth has begun to surface. His penchant for overspending, obsession with exorbitant price tags, and need for an office that appeals to the colleague or lobbyist wanting to have a good time rather than the constituent he was elected to serve, all driven by a clinical desperation to be liked by his peers. He is no humble farmer; his only involvement in the family business being the frequent use of its credit card. He is no firefighter. And as a “family man,” he carried on multiple extramarital relationships until his wife was made aware and subsequently divorced him. Heath Flora, Human is being revealed as quite at odds with Heath Flora, Assembly Candidate, and this is just the beginning…