"Hey boys and girls! Now you can have an official Orange County Sheriff's Deputy badge just like Mike Carona wears! Just have your Mom and Dad send $5,000 to Gabe Nassar (in $1,000 increments). Be the first in your neighborhood."
In another blow to all the honest Sheriff's Deputies in Orange County, California, Friday's testimony revealed yet another sordid scheme by Mike Carona and his sidekicks, Asst Sheriffs, George Jaramillo and Don Haidl. This one involved selling OC Sheriff's badges-for cash.
The witness who testified to this was businessman Ghaby "Gabe" Nassar of Lake Forest, California in Orange County. According to his testimony, he wagered (and won) $100 in cash from Carona and Jaramillo that he could raise $25,000 for Carona's re-election campaign by selling Deputy badges at $5,000 per badge. This little operation occurred in 200-2001.
Nassar testified that he contacted several individuals who he persuaded to contribute $5,000 dollars each. The checks were written in increments of $1,000 due to the legal campaign limit law of $1,000. Each was told they had to contribute $5,000 to get a badge. The checks, each for $1,000, were made out to the "Friends of Mike Carona". Nassar said he collected 23 checks totaling about $23,000, which he gave to Lisa Jaramillo, George's wife, who was the campaign fundraiser.
To show his friendship, Carona appointed Nassar as a reserve and gave him a concealed-weapons permit. In October of 2000, following media reports of Nassar's background, the permit was taken away. Nassar testified that he threatened Jaramillo that he would disclose the badges-for-money scheme if he didn't get the permit back. He did not indicate whether he got the permit back.
One of the contributors, businessman Mehdi Hatmanian, also testified Friday that he contributed $5,000, which had been collected from himself and 4 other people. He also testified that he received a badge.
What must the Orange County deputies, the overwhelming majority of whom are good, honest cops, be thinking as all these revelations come out?
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