Family Action PAC Recognizes Steve Mensinger For His Public Service
Posted by Greg Woodard on December 10, 2013
The Family Action PAC held its annual Christmas Party on December 5, 2013. Part of the festivities included presenting “Red Tie Awards” to individuals who have made an impact in their community. This year, Costa Mesa City Councilman Steve Mensinger was awarded the “Excellence in Public Service” Red Tie. Many know the trials Steve and fellow council member Jim Righeimer have endured at the hands of the unions during the years that they have been fighting for pension and other reforms in their city.
Steve and Jim have filed a lawsuit against the Costa Mesa Police Officer’s Association, the Association’s former law firm, and one of the firm’s investigators. The lawsuit alleges a pattern of harassment by the defendants during the 2012 election campaign. One of the allegations is that the defendants sent a woman into a local restaurant and bar where Steve and Jim had gone, in an attempt to get Steve in a compromising position, which they failed to do. While at the restaurant, the defendant investigator then followed Jim home and called the police alleging that Jim was driving erratically. The police came to Jim’s home late at night and administered a sobriety test in front of his wife and young daughters, which Jim easily passed considering the strongest thing he had to drink that night was a Diet Coke.
Recently, the Orange County D.A.’s office revealed that a GPS tracking device was placed on Steve’s car during the time he was campaigning for re-election in 2012. Steve and Jim have added an allegation that the defendants are responsible for the GPS tracking device to their lawsuit. Steve has likened the ordeal to a John Grisham novel, and the law firm representing Jim and Steve calls it a sophisticated conspiracy, “straight out of the Watergate diaries.”
Jim introduced Steve at the Family Action PAC luncheon, and at the end of his speech the emotion in the room was palpable. Jim also put a very human face on the issue, pointing out the impact not only on themselves, but also on their wives who were in attendance. Steve, ordinarily very vocal, was visibly affected by Jim’s words, and was only able to choke out a thank you to Jim and all of the attenders.
If proven, the illegal, immoral, and invasive actions of the unions and their cohorts should be severely punished, both in a court of law and in the court of public opinion. If unions are resorting to these activities to protect their stranglehold on local city and county politics, they must be stopped. We should all applaud individual like Jim and Steve who are not afraid to stand against the money and power of the unions as they seek to make their cities a better place for their residents.
OC Political 
J. S. said
Question: Isn’t the following contrary to what was published in Daily Pilot, OCRegister, national coverage AND your own posting referenced above (‘Investigator Tied To Union Law Firm Admits To Trying To Set Up Costa Mesa Council Member Gary Monahan In Sexual Sting (Updated)…’) about these incidents ?
“One of the allegations is that the defendants sent a woman into a local restaurant and bar where Steve and Jim had gone, in an attempt to get Steve in a compromising position, which they failed to do. “
Dan Chmielewski said
“The lawsuit alleges a pattern of harassment by the defendants during the 2012 election campaign. One of the allegations is that the defendants sent a woman into a local restaurant and bar where Steve and Jim had gone, in an attempt to get Steve in a compromising position, which they failed to do. While at the restaurant, the defendant investigator then followed Jim home and called the police alleging that Jim was driving erratically. ”
Actually, published reports say a woman was sent to a bar to get Gary Monahan in a compromising position. Suggestions that the union directed the law firm or the investigator to do this lack evidence.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/righeimer-377213-monahan-lanzillo.html
But if Monahan, Righeimer and Mensinger were all in the same bar together at the same time, thanks for confirming the Brown Act violation.
and this: “Recently, the Orange County D.A.’s office revealed that a GPS tracking device was placed on Steve’s car during the time he was campaigning for re-election in 2012.”
The Orange County DA is not commenting on this revelation; there’s no independent proof; anytime Mensinger and Righeimer want to release said proof of this publicly, we’re all ears. The OC DA’s office won’t confirm this charge at all.
Greg Woodard said
Dan,
Try to actually address the facts on this blog, not the liberal nonsense that you have on the lefty blogs. First, Lanzillo (the investigator) has admitted that he went into Monahan’s place “to gather dirt on Monahan and Mensinger.” Second, in case you didn’t know, the way the legal system works is that the plaintiffs make allegations, then gather evidence to support those allegations, then try to prove those allegations at trial. If they are successful, they get a judgment against the defendants. The story makes no suggestion that the union directed the investigator (though personally I have little doubt they did), but merely states the allegations in the Complaint. (As an aside, should Jim and Steve prevail in court against the union, I can’t wait to see your comments then). Third, if you actually read the stories you would know that other sites (the Daily Pilot, for one) have reported that the D.A.’s office told Steve that the tracking device was placed on his truck. Finally, you know that three council members in the same place does not mean a Brown Act violation. If you don’t, you should refrain from speaking on the subject until you educate yourself.
When you are ready to address the facts, and not your liberal agenda, I will be here.
Dan Chmielewski said
It’s a Brown Act violation if the three are engaged in conversations about city business and council members are generally discouraged from socializing together; read California Government Code. But I’m sure they were all talking about high school football. There is no way of knowing what they were talking about..
The Daily Pilot reported this: “Someone allegedly placed a GPS monitor on the undercarriage of Councilman Steve Mensinger’s truck — frequently charging or downloading data from it — and used it to follow his whereabouts until August 2012, according to allegations found in documents filed in Orange County Superior Court.”
“They learned of the alleged tracking from the district attorney’s office, which is conducting its own investigation, Finaldi said.
A spokeswoman for the D.A. could not be reached early Wednesday evening.”
No independent confirmation. The plantiffs say the DA’;s office said so. The DA’s office ain’t saying anything. I called Susan Kang Schroeder myself and she refused to comment on this case.