San Clemente’s pick for O.C. sheriff
Talked out of lobbying for a former sheriff’s lieutenant to replace indicted and now retired Sheriff Michael S. Carona last year, the San Clemente City Council had second thoughts late Tuesday.
The council agreed Tuesday night to write a letter to Orange County supervisors asking them to appoint former Lt. Bill Hunt as a permanent replacement for Carona, who is facing federal corruption charges.
When the idea was first floated in November, Carona was still in office and vowing to fight the felony charges. After he resigned last week, the item was placed back on the agenda.
“The situation has changed dramatically,” Mayor Joe Anderson said in an interview Wednesday.
“We felt the timing was more appropriate.”
Citing Hunt’s service record and popularity while he served as chief of police services for San Clemente, Anderson described Hunt as a “consummate professional, proven leader and a man of high integrity.”
Anderson was joined by council colleagues Lori Donchak and G. Wayne Eggleston.
The endorsement comes as the state attorney general is reviewing whether interim Orange County Sheriff Jack Anderson violated state law by appearing in uniform while trying to dissuade the San Clemente council from endorsing Hunt at the November meeting.
The Sheriff’s Department said it was legal and completely appropriate for Anderson to address the council in uniform because he was there to discuss department policy, not politics.
Hunt was demoted to deputy after challenging the sheriff in the 2006 election for campaign statements that allegedly violated department policy. He is now a private detective and is suing the county. He said he was excited to get his hometown backing.
Anderson was not available for comment Tuesday.
--
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
