ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : BOND TICKER : Schneider Denies Threatening Backers of Citron Foe Moorlach
During his appearance Thursday before a state Senate committee investigating Orange County’s financial disaster, former County Administrative Officer Ernie Schneider denied that he had ever threatened any supporter of John M.W. Moorlach, who ran against Citron in the June election.
Schneider explained that he did have conversations with Robert Bein, the head of the engineering firm Robert Bein, William Frost & Associates, and Bein’s employees, Thomas A. Fuentes, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, about Moorlach’s attacks on Citron. Schneider said he believed Moorlach’s comments were hurting the county’s credit rating.
Fuentes refused to comment Friday on any discussions he had with Schneider last spring, or whether Schneider ever threatened him or Bein.
“My aggressive and enthusiastic advocacy for John Moorlach is well documented,” Fuentes said. “I suffered personal and political attacks by the Citron campaign. Mr. Citron had his politically motivated bureaucrats at the county of Orange and their day will come.”
Compiled by Shelby Grad, with Lee Romney, Debora Vrana, Gebe Martinez and Mark Platte.
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