As indicated in an earlier post, Jackie Lee Houston, co-owner of CBS affiliate Channel 2 with her husband Jim Houston, is caught up in a developing scandal regarding campaign finance.
(1) Employee notifies General Manager of CBS affiliate Channel 2 that the station is engaging in potentially illegal activity regarding political campaign advertising
(2) Employee is terminated
(3) Now former-employee files lawsuit against General Manager and CBS affiliate Channel 2 regarding wrongful termination (Case # INC-071909)
The Udcoff vs. Desert Television complaint states “Desert Television wrongfully terminated Mr. Udcoff shortly after he objected to and reported ‘reasonably based suspicions’ of illegal activity.” The allegations of illegal activity involve advertising rebates owed to political candidates, political advertising revenue, revenue reported to CBS Corporate, and redirecting the KPSP main signal.
It’s pretty dicey industry stuff and, if the allegations are found to be true, it could mean big problems for the GM, not to mention the station itself and the station owners, beloved local philanthropists Jim and Jackie Lee Houston, who will have to deal with the fallout of their GM’s actions…
…The lawsuit is online at www.riverside.courts.ca.gov Click on Online Services to Search Court Records to Civil cases to Indio Civil Court & Small Claims Court and enter “guest” and log on and click on case number and type in the case #071909, then look for Udcoff vs Desert Television and click on the case number. There you have it. Click on “images” and then click on the camera symbols to read the complaint filed.
(4) Jim and Jackie Lee Houston are known in the Palm Springs area for the Houston Gala at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. I checked with the Huffington Post Fundrace 2008 and could not find political donations given by either a James Houston with a Palm Springs-area address. However, Jacqueline Lee Houston, Homemaker, Self-employed, residing 345 N Via Las Palmas, Palm Springs, CA gave a $12,501 contribution to the RNC in Q1 2004. Jacqueline Lee Houston is also listed for another $2,500 contribution to the RNC in also Q1 2004.
I had wondered whether the alleged illegal activities involved the campaigns of (1) Lee Weigel for Mayor of Palm Springs, (2) Bonnie Garcia, CA 80th AD, and/or (3) Mary Bono, CA-45. And now, [email protected] informs that Jim Houston is actually listed as a political donor to Lee Weigel’s campaign for Mayor of Palm Springs:
There is an April 11th $1,000 donation from Jim Houston listed on
Lee Weigel’s June 30th campaign filing report.
More below the flip…
I have discovered that James Houston, Palm Springs, has a long history of making political contributions to right-wing causes. Houston has given massive quantities of monies to Mary Bono, Mitch McConnell, and to various reactionary Republican money laundries. According to FEC.org, James R. Houston, Retired, 225 W Via Lola, Palm Springs, CA 92262 donated the following:
LAZIO, RICK A
VIA LAZIO 2000 INC $1,000 on 11/07/2000 20020432092
According to Wikipedia, Lazio is most known for having run unsuccessfully against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York’s 2000 Senate election. Clinton won the election on November 7 with 55% of the vote to Lazio’s 43%.
In comparison with other results, this 12% margin was smaller than Gore’s 25% margin over Bush in the state Presidential contest, was slightly larger than the 10% margin by which fellow New York senator Charles Schumer defeated incumbent Republican Al D’Amato in the hotly contested 1998 race, but was considerably smaller than the 47% margin by which Senator Schumer won reelection in 2004 against little-known Republican challenger Howard Mills. The victory of a Democrat in the Senate election was not assured, because in recent decades the Republicans had won about half the elections for governor and senator.
Lazio’s bid was obviously handicapped by the weak performance of George W. Bush in New York in the 2000 election, but it is also clear Hillary Clinton had made substantial inroads in upstate New York prior to Lazio’s entry into the race. Exit polls also showed a large gender gap with Clinton running stronger than expected among moderate women and unaffiliated women.
ROGAN, JAMES E
VIA ROGAN FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE $500 on 05/20/1999 99034703464 and $500 on 12/29/1999 20035204708
According to Wikipedia, Rogan was elected to two terms (1996, 1998) in Congress in a heavily Democratic District. However,
(b)ecause of his background as a prosecutor and his reputation for fairness among Republicans and Democrats alike, the House of Representatives selected Rogan to be one of the 13 House Managers in the historic impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. This role gave Rogan worldwide recognition for his fairness during a painfully partisan episode in American history.
However, as a Republican representing a heavily Democratic district that was home to many of the Hollywood movie studios and whose constituents strongly opposed the impeachment of Clinton, Rogan’s vote caused his defeat for reelection in 2000 in what remains the most expensive House race in American history.
BONO, MARY
VIA MARY BONO COMMITTEE $500 on 03/06/2003 and $2,000 on 03/06/2003 23990756486
As we know in the Coachella Valley, Bono marches lock-step with Bush and his cronies in the Administration and fronts for the theocons and theofascists in Washington, D.C. She has failed miserably to represent a majority of the constitutents in her District (CA-45) by refusing repeatedly to meet with the leadership of the major GLBT political organizations that represent 40% of the Palm Springs voting population and has voted repeatedly against the interests of the Latino population including immigration reform. Her only claim to fame is that she happened to remain married to Sonny Bono, R-CA at the time of his demise and is the only Republican in the California Congressional deligation to have voted to override Bush’s veto of SCHIP.
MCCONNELL, MITCH
VIA MCCONNELL SENATE COMMITTEE ’08 $750 on 04/20/2001 21020111409
McConnell is a staunch Republican in the U.S. Senate, but to date, no significant piece of legislation bears his name see Wikipedia. In addition, he is vehemently, some say surprisingly so, to any legislation that furthers the Constitutional Rights of gay Americans. Blogactive.com, a blog that reports on homophobic, gay-bashing, self-loathing Republican Congressmen, Senators, and their staffers, often reports on the comings and goings of McConnell. Wikipedia describes McConnell as one of the most reactionary Republicans in the U.S. Senate:
McConnell remains one of the strongest supporters of the American invasion of Iraq, which he considers a central part of the “War on Terrorism.” He holds the view that the violence in Iraq is perpetrated primarily by al-Qaeda and other international jihadists, who would otherwise be engaged in terrorist actions within the United States. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on January 10, 2007 (after President Bush’s announcement of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq), McConnell claimed that the war in Iraq was a “success,” because it had prevented terrorist attacks in the U.S. since September 11, 2001. He warned that if the United States withdrew from Iraq, “the terrorists would come after us where we live.”
In 1996, Senator McConnell demanded that President Clinton allow White House aides to testify under oath. However, as Chris Wallace explained on April 1, 2007, his stance on Karl Rove and Harriet Miers testifying under oath in relation to the Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy was contradictory. Wallace asked, “…in 1996, you were saying those White House aides should testify in open hearing. These were White House aides of Bill Clinton, in open hearing under oath. Why shouldn’t the same rules apply for the Bush White House and people like Karl Rove?” McConnell replied, “And what I’m telling you is the president’s going to make that decision.”
In addition, Houston gave significant sums of money to the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE:
- $2,000 on 01/15/1997 97020040202
- $2,000 on 01/16/2001 21020050283 and $1,000 on 10/21/2004 24021041561
- $3,000 on 07/17/2002 22020601670
- $2,000 on 05/29/1998 2000.00 98020122958, $500 on 11/04/1998 98020272202, and $3,000 on 03/31/1999 99020044189
- $1,000 on 02/16/2000 20020100697
Houston gave the RNC REPUBLICAN NATIONAL STATE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE $1,000 on 08/28/2001 21990488854 and gave the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE $10,000 on 06/29/2004 24961931835
Following his move to 345 N Via Las Palmas, Palm Springs, CA 92262, Houston significantly increased his contributions to the theocons and theofascists. He donated monies to Peter Coors who as a Candidate for the U.S. Senate in Colorado in 2004 opposed marriage equality and supported a Constitutional Amendment to ban marriage equality.
COORS, PETER
VIA PETE COORS FOR SENATE $2,000 on 10/21/2004 24021012146
Wikipedia reports that see link,
(w)hen U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell declared in 2004 that he was retiring, Coors announced his candidacy. His opponent in the primary election was another conservative, former congressman Bob Schaffer. In their primary, the two candidates got into an ideological battle, as Schaffer attacked Coors because his company had provided benefits to the partners of its gay and lesbian employees, in addition to promoting its beer in gay bars. Coors defended himself by saying that he was opposed to same-sex marriage, and supported a constitutional amendment to ban it. According to the Rocky Mountain News, Coors described his company’s ostensibly pro-LGBT practices as “good business, separate from politics.” Coors did note however, that he supported civil unions for gay couples. He defeated Schaffer with 61% of the vote in the primary, with many analysts citing his high name recognition in the state as a primary factor.
Coors faced Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar in the November 2004 election, but Coors was defeated by a margin of 51% to 47%.
SCHAFFER, ROBERT W
VIA BOB SCHAFFER FOR US SENATE $2,300 on 07/18/2007 27020382539
This is the same theofascist gay bashing, homophobic dolt whom Coors defeated in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Colorado in 2004. Again,
Schaffer attacked Coors because his company had provided benefits to the partners of its gay and lesbian employees, in addition to promoting its beer in gay bars.
JORDAN, JAMES D
VIA JIM JORDAN FOR CONGRESS $1,000 on 04/10/2006 26940098532
Jordan is an Ohio Republican politician who is another theofascist gay bashing, homophobic, misogynist whom Houston supports. In 2006, he was elected to OH-4 with 60% of the vote in a District that has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 1936. According to Jordan’s own website,
Jim Jordan was named Pro-Life legislator of the Year and won the Defender of Life award for his unwavering commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life. He is a trusted leader on family issues like defending traditional marriage and giving parents the tools they need to help build a brighter future for their children.
BOUCHARD, MICHAEL J
VIA BOUCHARD FOR US SENATE $1,000 on 10/16/2006 26020922666
Bouchard is a theofascist who was a major Republican hopefuls in the 2006 U.S. Senate races. The Michigan United States Senate election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Freshman Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow was re-elected to a second term over Republican Michael Bouchard 56.9% – 41.3%. According to Wikipedia, in entering the 2006 Michigan U.S. Senate race,
(i)n previous campaigns, Bouchard’s message has been one of anti-crime, support for small government principles, and community-building. Bouchard also made immigration reform and border security a part of his U.S. Senate campaign.
In late July 2007, Bouchard endorsed former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney in the Republican Presidential Primaries for the 2008 election.
MCGAVICK, MICHAEL SEAN
VIA FRIENDS FOR MIKE MCGAVICK $1,000 on 10/16/2006 26020902701
VASQUEZ, ROBERT
VIA VASQUEZ FOR IDAHO $500 on 02/08/2006 26950038668
THUNE, JOHN
VIA JOHN THUNE FOR US SENATE $2,000 on 05/12/2004 24020341461 and $1,000 on 09/30/2004 24020921182
SUNUNU, JOHN E
VIA TEAM SUNUNU $2,300 on 05/04/2007 27020242395
CITIZENS CLUB FOR GROWTH INC PAC $1,000 on 04/21/2006 26950126327
CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC $1,500 on 08/02/2007 27990872142 and $500 on 09/24/2007 27990872143
SALI, WILLIAM T. T
VIA SALI FOR CONGRESS $1,000 on 04/10/2006 26960098306
THUNE, JOHN
VIA FRIENDS OF JOHN THUNE $1,000 09/12/2007 27020332660
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE $1,000 on 11/30/2005 25020532089 , $1,000 on 10/19/2006 26021051819 , and $250 on 01/25/2007 27020063758
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE $1,000 on 02/09/2006 and $2,000 on 02/15/2006 26020152071
CA HOSPITAL ASSN PAC-FED SPONSORED BY CA ASSN OF HOPITALS & HEALTH SYTEMS (CAHHS) $500 on 12/11/2006 27930019179
JONES, BILL
VIA BILL JONES FOR US SENATE $2,000 on 03/02/2004 24020272150
DAVIS, CATHERINE
VIA COMMITTEE TO ELECT CATHERINE DAVIS $500 on 09/25/2006 26950568432
STEELE, MICHAEL
VIA STEELE FOR MARYLAND INC $1,000 on 10/16/2006 26020923607 and $550 on 02/23/2007 27020124077
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE $250 on 06/19/2007 27020282399 and $1,150 on 07/17/2007 27020292313
BONO, MARY
VIA MARY BONO COMMITTEE Refund or Disposal of Excess Contributions Required under 11 C.F.R. 400.53 $2,600 on 07/25/2006 26950589247
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE $5,000 on 06/20/2003 23991458635
DAVIS, GEOFFREY C
VIA GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS $500 on 05/15/2006 26930246547 and $500 on 03/16/2007 27930608653
BONO, MARY
VIA MARY BONO COMMITTEE $1,000 on 04/22/2004 24962290191
BONO, MARY
VIA MARY BONO COMMITTEE $2,100 on 03/15/2005 25990478048, $500 on 10/10/2005 26990142231, $4,200 on 06/06/2006 26960221532, $250 on 03/03/2007 27930609842, $200 on 03/05/2007 27930609842, $1,050 on 03/05/2007 27930609843, $2,300 on 03/05/2007 27930609841, and $800 on 09/30/2007 # 27990818840 (image not yet available)
MARY’S POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $800 on 03/29/2005 25990439823
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE $10,000 on 03/24/2005 25990536428
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE $10,000 on 09/29/2006 26940507409
MCCONNELL, MITCH
VIA MCCONNELL SENATE COMMITTEE ’08 $250 on 09/07/2007 27020340167
BLACKS FOR ECONOMIC SECURITY TODAY TRUST (BEST TRUST) $500 on 11/20/2006 26039301536
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FEDERAL PAC $1,000 on 01/24/2006 26930414142
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE $25,000 on 04/28/2006 26940151153
BlueBeaumontBoyz now wonders if in fact some of the alleged illegal activity on the part of the General Manager and the CBS affiliate Channel 2 involved Weigel’s campaign advertising. Or did it involve Bonnie Garcia, Assemblywoman CA 80th AD or Mary Bono, Congresswoman CA-45?