Baugh Aide Rejects Offer to Make Deal in Election Probe

One of the political aides implicated in alleged wrongdoing in last year’s special election in the 67th Assembly District will not entertain an offer from the district attorney’s office to plead guilty, her attorney said Wednesday.

Rhonda Carmony, a political worker for Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach), who won the special election last November, has “committed no crime,” attorney Creighton Laz said.

Carmony was among five aides or campaign workers who were told last week by Deputy Dist. Atty. John Anderson that they are welcome to make an offer to resolve any criminal liability they might have in a Republican effort to place a Democrat on the Nov. 28 ballot.

The district attorney’s office began an investigation that month to determine whether anyone helped recruit Democrat Laurie Campbell as part of an effort to siphon votes from a popular Democratic candidate in the winner-take-all contest to replace Assemblywoman Doris Allen.

The investigation centers on alleged illegalities in the filing of nomination petitions and acquisition of voter signatures for Campbell. It is not a crime, however, for members of one political party to recruit candidates from another party.

Carmony, who also serves as campaign manager for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), was in Washington on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.

Several sources have described a meeting between Campbell, Carmony and GOP aides Richard Martin, Mark Denny and Jeff Gibson in the parking lot of the registrar’s office on the afternoon of Sept. 21, a short time before Campbell filed as a candidate. It was there that Campbell was given the nominating petitions to sign, according to a campaign source and Jeff Butler, who worked on the campaigns to recall Allen and elect Baugh.

In a separate case, Carmony has been charged with seven misdemeanor violations of the state Political Reform Act for her alleged role in setting up an independent campaign committee that in 1992 circulated a flier critical of a Diamond Bar councilwoman. Carmony was listed as the treasurer of the committee, according to the district attorney’s office.

Carmony is due in court March 20 for a pretrial hearing.