Carona quits to focus on defense
Karen Tapia-Andersen / Los Angeles
Times
Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona
announced his retirement online,
stating the need to focus on
defending himself and his wife
against federal corruption charges.
In a statement online, the Orange County
sheriff says he must step down to focus on
defending himself against corruption
charges.
Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona said
this morning that he was resigning effective
today to concentrate on fighting federal
corruption charges that he sold access to
his office for thousands of dollars in gifts
and kickbacks.
Carona's longtime political advisor and attorney, Michael Schroeder, said at a news conference this morning that Carona's resignation was in no way an indication that the three-term sheriff intended to plead guilty and that "no new evidence had popped up" to cause him to step down.
Schroeder said that in addition to Carona being able to devote himself full time to his defense, his resignation would put to rest the question about whether he could accept free legal help from a prominent law firm. The state attorney general's office said last month that it was looking into a complaint that legal aid donated to Carona could violate a ban on expensive gifts to elected officials.
Schroeder said Carona was "looking at hundreds of thousands in legal fees, fees that will exceed his net worth." He said the resignation was "absolutely not" part of a plea bargain and that the defense expects the trial to get underway in June as scheduled.
In one of Carona's final actions last week as sheriff, he fired Assistant Sheriff Dan Martini. Schroeder would not say why Martini was fired, only that the sheriff did not need a reason because Martini was an at-will employee.
"It was part of the reorganization that needed to occur," Schroeder said.
Carona will receive a pension that amounts to his final salary of nearly $200,000 a year, Schroeder said.
Carona's defense will be led at no cost by attorney Brian A. Sun, who won a settlement with the federal government in the case of former Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, who was accused of being a Chinese spy. Sun is with the Jones Day law firm.
Carona will repay the law firm for work it has done on the case until today, Schroeder said.
In a statement posted on the Sheriff Department's website, Carona, 52, said that "it has become clear to me that the interests of the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the residents of Orange County would be best served if I am not distracted from my duties while defending the charges recently brought against me by the federal government."
"Although this is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, my family, my staff and my lawyers all believe that this is the right time to take my retirement," he wrote. "This action will permit me to focus on vindicating my name and refuting the false charges which have been made against me and my wife."
Prosecutors allege that Carona tried to enrich himself, his wife and his mistress by trading favors for cash and gifts.
His resignation comes a week after he had returned to work following a self-imposed leave of absence. In early November, he announced he was taking 60 days of paid leave. Carona, his wife, Deborah, and Debra Hoffman, a woman authorities describe as his longtime mistress, were indicted in a federal corruption case.
Carona faces conspiracy, mail fraud and witness-tampering charges; his wife is charged with one count of conspiracy; and Hoffman with one count of conspiracy, four counts of mail fraud and three counts of bankruptcy fraud.
Before resigning today, Carona promoted Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson to second in command, leaving Anderson to fill in for him until the Board of Supervisors appoints a successor to complete Carona's term, which ends in 2011.
Carona said he first asked Undersheriff Jo Ann Galisky to step in, but she declined, citing personal reasons. In what he called "an effort to restructure management and ensure continuity," he returned Galisky to the rank of assistant sheriff.
Attorney Steward said Carona chose to announce his retirement on the website because he didn't want to be distracted while preparing for his trial in June.
"Politicians calling for his resignation played absolutely no role in this," Steward said. "The most important thing was we need Mike on a daily basis and we got used to having him in the 60-day period he took off. We need his continued help in the defense. It's very, very time-consuming."
To read the announcement or listen to audio, visit http://blog.ocsd.org/
Carona's longtime political advisor and attorney, Michael Schroeder, said at a news conference this morning that Carona's resignation was in no way an indication that the three-term sheriff intended to plead guilty and that "no new evidence had popped up" to cause him to step down.
Schroeder said that in addition to Carona being able to devote himself full time to his defense, his resignation would put to rest the question about whether he could accept free legal help from a prominent law firm. The state attorney general's office said last month that it was looking into a complaint that legal aid donated to Carona could violate a ban on expensive gifts to elected officials.
Schroeder said Carona was "looking at hundreds of thousands in legal fees, fees that will exceed his net worth." He said the resignation was "absolutely not" part of a plea bargain and that the defense expects the trial to get underway in June as scheduled.
In one of Carona's final actions last week as sheriff, he fired Assistant Sheriff Dan Martini. Schroeder would not say why Martini was fired, only that the sheriff did not need a reason because Martini was an at-will employee.
"It was part of the reorganization that needed to occur," Schroeder said.
Carona will receive a pension that amounts to his final salary of nearly $200,000 a year, Schroeder said.
Carona's defense will be led at no cost by attorney Brian A. Sun, who won a settlement with the federal government in the case of former Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, who was accused of being a Chinese spy. Sun is with the Jones Day law firm.
Carona will repay the law firm for work it has done on the case until today, Schroeder said.
In a statement posted on the Sheriff Department's website, Carona, 52, said that "it has become clear to me that the interests of the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the residents of Orange County would be best served if I am not distracted from my duties while defending the charges recently brought against me by the federal government."
"Although this is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, my family, my staff and my lawyers all believe that this is the right time to take my retirement," he wrote. "This action will permit me to focus on vindicating my name and refuting the false charges which have been made against me and my wife."
Prosecutors allege that Carona tried to enrich himself, his wife and his mistress by trading favors for cash and gifts.
His resignation comes a week after he had returned to work following a self-imposed leave of absence. In early November, he announced he was taking 60 days of paid leave. Carona, his wife, Deborah, and Debra Hoffman, a woman authorities describe as his longtime mistress, were indicted in a federal corruption case.
Carona faces conspiracy, mail fraud and witness-tampering charges; his wife is charged with one count of conspiracy; and Hoffman with one count of conspiracy, four counts of mail fraud and three counts of bankruptcy fraud.
Before resigning today, Carona promoted Assistant Sheriff Jack Anderson to second in command, leaving Anderson to fill in for him until the Board of Supervisors appoints a successor to complete Carona's term, which ends in 2011.
Carona said he first asked Undersheriff Jo Ann Galisky to step in, but she declined, citing personal reasons. In what he called "an effort to restructure management and ensure continuity," he returned Galisky to the rank of assistant sheriff.
Attorney Steward said Carona chose to announce his retirement on the website because he didn't want to be distracted while preparing for his trial in June.
"Politicians calling for his resignation played absolutely no role in this," Steward said. "The most important thing was we need Mike on a daily basis and we got used to having him in the 60-day period he took off. We need his continued help in the defense. It's very, very time-consuming."
To read the announcement or listen to audio, visit http://blog.ocsd.org/