Public, Private Stress Take Their Toll on Moreno

Stress over a federal public corruption indictment two weeks ago as well as his wife’s difficult pregnancy is taking its toll on Santa Ana Councilman Ted R. Moreno.

At his first council meeting since the indictment was returned, Moreno sat mostly stone-faced through hours of motions, debates and votes. But at the end of the locally televised meeting, he broke down and cried as he talked about taking his wife to the hospital to check for a possible miscarriage.

Describing his crises, he said: “Right now, it feels like a hurricane. But I’m in the eye of the storm. I’m calm.”

He insisted that he will continue his campaign to win the mayor’s seat this fall, saying, “I’m still going to give it a hard shot.” His lawyer, Edward R. Munoz, has said Moreno should reconsider his challenge to incumbent Miguel A. Pulido Jr.

The grand jury indictment charges Moreno with 24 counts of conspiracy, extortion and money laundering. It also charges Councilman Tony Espinoza with one count of conspiracy and names two former council candidates as defendants.

As Moreno spoke Tuesday night, his voice breaking at times, his hands wiping away tears, Espinoza, his longtime friend and ally, walked out of the council chambers.

Councilman Thomas E. Lutz said he believes Moreno’s personal and political strains are starting to show.

“I feel sorry for him,” Lutz said. “I can imagine the future’s in the balance, and they’re carrying a baby whose future is in the balance as well. The charges are affecting his whole family.”

But Lutz pointed out that Moreno has broken down in previous meetings when his programs were voted down. “We didn’t know if they were alligator tears,” he said about those incidents.

In an interview Wednesday, Moreno said he cried at the meeting over the difficulties his wife is having with her pregnancy, not over the indictment. He said he is undeterred by the accusations.

“The people of Santa Ana know what is going on here; they will support me,” he said. “I don’t know the difference between myself now and myself two weeks ago. I’m still the same person. My viewpoints haven’t changed.”

Moreno wasn’t totally aloof during Tuesday night’s meeting. He criticized the council for making what he called a sweetheart deal for property with a Volvo dealership. The plan passed. He didn’t vote.

He occasionally smiled and clapped when programs passed, and he voted with the council on most other programs.

Before the meeting, dozens of Moreno backers handed out newsletters to those who attended the meeting and held signs in support of Moreno and Espinoza. Several said during the public-comment period that they supported Moreno and Espinoza.

Supporters accuse the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office of singling out Latinos to reduce their political clout in the city. U.S. Atty. Nora Manella has said the indictment has nothing to do with local politics.

Political activist and Moreno supporter Sean Mill said he believes Moreno’s emotional reaction Tuesday was genuine.

“Ted is an emotional person to begin with,” he said. “The fact that he broke down, he’s a real person. He’s not putting on a facade for people. What you see is what you get.”

Moreno, he argued, should continue his candidacy for mayor “because he’s innocent.”

“I know a lot of people who will vote for him, and they are going to tell all their friends to vote for him, and some might even get involved in the campaign,” said Mill, an insurance agent.

The indictment also names as defendants two Moreno-backed council candidates, Hector Olivares and Roman Palacios. All are accused of conspiring to extort $31,000 from a gas station owner who sought a license to sell beer and wine. Moreno also is accused of extorting $10,000 from a land owner and, with Olivares, of conspiring to launder money and money laundering.

Palacios, who has cooperated with authorities, has pleaded guilty to the one count against him. The others have pleaded not guilty, and their federal trial is scheduled for Oct. 27.