Deputy D.A.s Endorse Wade Over Rackauckas

Dealing their boss a setback, lawyers in the Orange County district attorney’s office disclosed Tuesday that they are endorsing veteran prosecutor Wally Wade for district attorney.

By declining to support incumbent Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas, the Assn. of Orange County Deputy District Attorneys gave Wade his most significant endorsement yet in the campaign.

The move also marked the first time the association has declined to endorse an incumbent district attorney.

“These are the deputies protecting the public in the courtroom, and they’re saying something is wrong and we need to change the way we’re doing business,” Wade said.

Rackauckas declined to comment, but a campaign spokesman said the endorsement does not reflect badly on the district attorney.

“Tony Rackauckas is a tough boss, and there are people inside his office who resent that and who spend a lot of time on internal office politics,” said Rackauckas campaign spokesman Dave Gilliard.

“Office politics don’t matter to voters. What matters to voters is how safe they feel in their homes.”

The association allows only dues-paying members to vote, meaning that about two-thirds of the 250 or so Orange County prosecutors can cast ballots. The breakdown of their votes was not released.

The lawyers’ move to support Wade follows months of controversy in the district attorney’s office. In some of the most highly publicized episodes, Rackauckas ordered deputies to withdraw a consumer protection lawsuit against billionaire George Argyros, who had contributed to the district attorney’s campaign, and fired a veteran prosecutor who questioned his leadership.

Rackauckas later withdrew from the Argyros case, and the state attorney general eventually reached a settlement. Mike Jacobs, the fired prosecutor, has filed a lawsuit against Rackauckas.