AGENDA 21 RADIO

BY STEVE FRANK
Updated

The Orange County Register miss reported the donation that was at the heart of this article. See Steve Frank’s explanation!
Charles Munger did NOT make donations to causes for Gov. Jerry Brown
June 1, 2017 By CPR Editors 4 Comments
Due to a reporting error in a recent post by Stephen Frank, an article that appeared yesterday in the California Political Review and California Political News and Views contained inaccurate and incorrect information regarding donations of Charles Munger, Jr., a Palo Alto physicist and influential GOP donor.
Since 2011, Munger has donated $750,000 to charitable causes at the behest of former Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo.
He has not donated money on behalf or for Jerry Brown, as was originally reported in the Orange County Register and then further written about by Frank. The OC Register article was corrected on its website and Frank’s article has been removed from California Political News and Views. CPR apologizes for the error.

“This is the “Bow Tie” who bought off Jim Brulte and the CAGOP. The same guy who was behind Prop 14, the top two initiative. The same guy who set up Harris or Sanchez for Senate. The same guy responsible for flushing the GOP down the toilet in California”. Larry Virga

In todays political world it is not a good idea for an active Republican or Democrat to give money to a candidate or officeholder of the opposing Party. So a few years ago, the slick operatives in Sacramento figured out a way to make it look good, to help a politician of the other Party. Here is how it works.

Instead of giving money to a candidates campaign fund, you give to a directed charity. Then the charity says nice things about the candidate, give them awards and makes them look sensitive. Then the rich Board members of the charity donate to the candidate, as if they really support him or her, not the policies of the candidate or office holder.

This is how the rich curry favor with politicians of the opposite Party—give to their charity, make them look good and get the supporters of the charity to donate to the candidate or office holder. All of this is absolutely legal. But, folks have no idea this is going on or how much is being donated in the name of charity.

At the same time Munger served on the Executive Committee of the California Republican Party, one of its largest donors and in control of the voter registration effort he runs outside the CRP—during which the CRP lost a net of 306,000 registered voters—of as October, 2016, starting in January, 2013.

Charles Munger Jr. Gives $750,000 to Jerry Browns’ Efforts–NOT a Typo

Editorial by Stephen Frank, 5/30/17

The Orange County Register of April 27, 2017 ran a serious story about the large amounts donated. Here are some of the examples:

“Thousands of donations were made by hundreds of companies at the behest of California politicians since 2011. Here are some of the biggest givers:

“• VSP Vision Care, which insures millions in California — $1 million, via lawmakers Rob Bonta, Darrell Steinberg, Roger Hernandez and others

San Pablo Lytton Casino in the Bay Area — $950,000, via Gov. Jerry Brown
The Home Depot & Foundation — $829,795, via Gov. Jerry Brown and Assemblyman Mike Gatto
Pacific Gas & Electric — $810,500, via Gov. Brown, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, Assemblyman Henry Perea and others
Charles Munger, Jr., experimental physicist at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and son of Berkshire Hathaway billionaire Charles Mungerat the behest of former Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo.
He has not donated money on behalf or for Jerry Brown, as was originally reported in the Orange County Register
Comcast — $673,650, via Gov. Brown, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and others”
Google — $565,000 via Rob Bonta, Gov. Brown and others

SOURCE: FAIR POLITICAL PRACTICES COMMISSION

Now, if Munger wanted to donate to a charity, he could have and it does not have to be reported to the fair Political Practices Commission. But, this is called a “behest” donation—either Brown or a Brown representative asked Munger to donate the Munger and Munger agreed. Munger could have called Brown and offered to make the donation, we do not know who called whom to start the process. But, under the law, such “behested” donations have to be reported. All of this is totally legal, but as a political activist and concerned about Democrat control of the State, thought you should know all the facts.

Why is Jerry Brown so powerful? Because he is so charitable.