Peters accuses Saldana of pay-to-play scheme.
Monday, April 9, 2012 | 12:56 p.m.
San Diego Port Commis. Scott Peters (D) blasted his chief ex-Assemb. Lori Saldana (D) on April 6 for "accepting gifts and travel from special interest groups while serving" in the Legislature. Peters is calling on Saldana "to release expense reports, receipts, itineraries, agendas, correspondence and other materials relating to the more than" $39K in "gifts and trips to Vietnam, China, Argentina and Chile she accepted" from '05 to '09.
"Saldana said the charges amounted to a campaign stunt. Saldana's campaign said the trips were public record and dismissed the challenge as a smear attack by a candidate behind in the polls and refusing to make public his tax returns."
"Peters countered that the focus on his taxes was a pathetic attempt to distract from her 'pay-to-play' record in the Legislature." This is his camp's first "significant" attack on Saldana.
In highlighting a $12.5K '06 trip to South America, "Peters noted overnight stays at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a five-star Ritz-Carlton in Santiago, Chile." Peters' campaign: "While staying at the spectacular Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, she even had her own personal butler to attend to her."
Peters mgr. Robert Dempsey: "Lori Saldaña accepted luxurious junkets funded by big corporations who had legislation before her that affected their bottom line. She accepted the trips and the corporations received the support from her they were seeking. ... If Lori Saldaña is for transparency as she claims, she should release all documentation related to these expenses and explain to the voters how this isn't a blatant conflict of interest."
Saldana consultant Larry Remer "stressed that no taxpayer money was used" by Saldana and that "the trade missions were meant to help grow" CA's economy. "Remer said everything cited by Peters has been public for years" (Cadelago, U-T San Diego, 4/6).
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