Assemblyman Essayli Files Ethics Complaint Regarding Alleged Bribery, Corruption by Legislator

Assemblyman Bill Essayli filed a Legislative Ethics complaint calling for a formal investigation into a Member of the California Legislature following the release of a plea agreement filed with the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Essayli said in his press release and on X that an ethics investigation would determine potential disciplinary action for the legislator accused of corruption related to Baldwin Park bribery scheme.

“A Member of the California Legislature has been accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of soliciting and accepting bribes up to $200,000. Although this person’s name has not been made public, I am calling on our legislature to immediately initiate an investigation to determine who this person is and to take the appropriate actions if it’s determined they in fact did engage in unlawful conduct,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli stated.

“We have a rotten culture of corruption in Sacramento. It’s unacceptable for legislators to financially benefit from abusing their powers, while everyday Californians are struggling just to survive under the current Democrat regime. We need major reforms and accountability for our state elected officials,” added Asm. Essayli.

Essayli names the “Baldwin Park bribery scheme.” A search brought up several articles. According to KTLA Monday Dec. 9th:

Two disgraced former city officials in Baldwin Park and Commerce pleaded guilty to participation in a scheme involving bribes in exchange for votes and influence in Baldwin Park’s cannabis permitting process, the U.S. Department of Justice announced late last week.

The charges against Edgar Cisneros, 42, a resident of Montebello who served as Commerce’s city manager from Nov. 2017 to Dec. 2023, and Robert Tafoya, 62, a Redondo Beach resident who served as Baldwin Park’s city attorney from Dec. 2013 to Oct. 2022 were unsealed on Dec. 6, according to a DOJ news release.

The Los Angeles Times Thursday Dec. 12th reports:

Documents made public by the U.S. attorney’s office last week allege that a public official who fits the profile of state Sen. Susan Rubio was part of sprawling cannabis bribery scheme when she served on the Baldwin Park City Council and campaigned for state office in 2018.

Rubio, a Democrat, said through a spokesman that she “has no reason to believe that she would be included in any criminal allegations.”

The documents do not name Rubio, but they describe a public official who fits her profile: someone who was in a position to terminate the Baldwin Park city attorney in 2017 and 2018, and was running for state office through November of 2018. Rubio is the only Baldwin Park official whose experience matches those criteria.

The Department of Justice also reports, Former Commerce City Manager and Former Baldwin Park City Attorney Bribery Guilty Pleas and Plea Agreements Unsealed.

Assemblyman Essayli’s letter requesting a Legislative Ethics investigation is below or click here.