Elections Overseer Is Called Unsuited

Saying South Gate’s elections process reeks of cronyism and manipulation, Secretary of State Bill Jones ordered the city to hand over electoral duties to either the county or the city’s elected clerk.

The “grave” situation facing South Gate voters ranks as the worst in the state, Jones told a boisterous throng Thursday in front of City Hall. Officials, he said, have defied his orders to restore integrity to the process.

Jones was especially critical of a decision earlier this year that stripped the city clerk of her electoral duties in favor of a consultant who Jones said was beholden to the council majority.

“This isn’t independence,” Jones said to wild applause at the afternoon news conference. “It appears to be cronyism, plain and simple.”

When the consultant, Julia Sylva, took the microphone, angry residents shouted her down, calling her a “liar” and urging her to “quit today.” Her speech was cut off in mid-sentence when someone pulled the plug on the public address system.

Sylva later denied she was a biased elections officer, saying Jones was misinformed. “I definitely am impartial,” she said. “I’m there to hopefully set a tone of stability and neutrality.”

The city is awash in recall efforts against nearly every elected official. Furthest along is a drive that targets Treasurer Albert Robles and his council majority allies: Mayor Raul Moriel, Vice Mayor Xochilt Ruvalcaba and Councilwoman Maria Benavides.

The fear among recall organizers, who have gathered more than 8,000 signatures, is that Sylva will block the recall process if state officials do not intercede.

In January, Jones ordered state monitoring after receiving reports from City Clerk Carmen Avalos, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and state legislators about alleged voter intimidation, fraud and violence.

Jones said his “patience is at an end,” because city officials have tried to manipulate the election process further under the pretense of making reforms.

He singled out Sylva for criticism, saying her links with two Robles allies, Angel Gonzalez and Katrina Jackson, give the appearance of bias.

Gonzalez, who is Robles’ printer of campaign materials, and Jackson, a former council candidate, have been charged by the district attorney’s office with distributing illegal hit-piece mailers during last year’s election, a felony.

Sylva, in a transcript of an interview with prosecutors, identified herself as an attorney for Gonzalez. She also was present at an interview with Jackson, whom prosecutors say she also represented.

Sylva has denied she represented Gonzalez or Jackson, saying she was present at the interviews but only as a friend.

But Jones said he considers her ties “corrosive” to the people’s confidence in the process.

“The election official hired by, linked to, beholden to the current City Council majority and the city treasurer appears to have an undeniable, unmistakable and impermissible conflict of interest.”

Ruvalcaba, the vice mayor, dismissed Jones’ visit as a cynical attempt to get publicity in his run for governor. But she said she would vote to have the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office handle the electoral process.

Ruvalcaba says the city clerk, Avalos, is biased and has used her computer for political purposes. Avalos denies the charges, saying Ruvalcaba resents her because she defeated her sister in last year’s election.

After Avalos became the target of a recall, the council majority stripped her of her electoral duties, saying she was biased. But Jones said the city had no valid reason to take away Avalos’ election duties.

“The purpose of stripping this elected official of her election responsibilities is plain,” he said. “The City Council majority wants a stacked deck in their favor.”