The Holden Political Machine and The Detective Diary of Jan B. Tucker

Bill and Jan

I get up early in the morning to write these posts. It is a kind of routine that I have established over the last couple of years, and it has become a part of my life. People ask me where I find the time, and my answer is I use the part that most people sleep through. This blog has become sustainable mostly because it is a habit. I get an idea, I research it on the Internet, and somewhere between 4AM and sunrise I get out of bed and pound it out on my laptop. Easy as that. It isn't really even work anymore, just something I do before the newspapers show up. If you're an insomniac and you need someone to swap e-mails with early in the morning, chances are I'm around.

I also don't worry about finding things to post about. They just seem to show up in my e-mail. Today's lead on something to write about in the wee small hours of the morning comes from the investigative team of Brandenburg & Brandenburg, two people who always know where the good stuff is hidden and seem to enjoy finding it. And what they sent me this morning is a blog called the The Detective's Diary. It is the work of an interesting gentleman named Jan B. Tucker, pictured here with former President Bill Clinton. Jan is a Private Investigator by trade, and if you go to his webpage (click here) you can also find pictures of him with former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former Attorney General Janet Reno. He is a gumshoe with impressive acquaintances.

Jan B. Tucker is what you would call a motivated Progressive as far as politics go. He is all about the working class, the needs of the poor, women's rights and helping people without big money connections gain access to the political system. He has also run for political office as a third party candidate a number of times, mostly as a member of the Peace & Freedom Party. If you go to the Join California website (click here) where they keep track of such things you will see that between 1974 and 2000 Jan ran for office 11 times, with his best showing being 1994 when he received 195,667 votes as the Peace & Freedom candidate for California State Treasurer. He also received 162,341 votes in a run for Lieutenant Governor for the same party in 1978. A lot of votes to be sure, but nowhere near what was needed to get the gig.

Now I don't know much about this guy beyond what I am finding on the Internet, as interesting as that may be. But somewhere along the line Jan B. Tucker became a Private Detective of some note. I suspect it must have something to do with having a talent for finding out information about people that other people are willing to pay good money for. I am certain it as an interesting profession. He also does what in politics is known as "oppositional research," which is what we here at The Tattler aspire to on our better days. But, and best of all, he does have that blog. As I said earlier, it is called The Detective's Diary, and it is one of the best I have seen in quite a while.

Just to give you a taste of what I mean, currently up for your consideration on The Detective's Diary (click here) is a fascinating story Jan calls Ishmael Trone & the Holden Machine. Ishmael, in case you are not aware, is the handpicked candidate of the Holden Political Machine to take now State Assemblyman Chris Holden's vacated place on the Pasadena City Council. Now I don't know what your feelings might be for Chris and his dad Nate, or even their guy Ishmael. But the way Jan B. Tucker describes the Holdens, if you ever happened to meet them you might want to take a nice hot bath just as soon as you get home. Check this out:

If there’s one thing to be said about the Holden Political Machine, founded by scion Nate Holden (former legislator, L.A. City Council member, and California Democratic Council President) all the major male players have female problems.

Nate himself was sued repeatedly for sexual harassment. The lawsuits cost the City of Los Angeles alone millions of dollars in defense costs, which were of course paid for by the taxpayers. In a complaint to the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing, a Nate Holden City Field Deputy, Carla Cavalier alleged that:

 ”During my period of employment with Councilman Nate Holden, I was humiliated, embarrassed and offended by his rampant and hostile verbal and sexual attacks on me. Councilman Holden personally created, and fostered with other male staff members, a sexually charged atmosphere . . . ,” Cavalier said in the complaint.

 Cavalier alleges that Holden often stared and made suggestive statements, including: “Come here, Sugar,” “Let me see what you have on, Sugar,” “Turn around for me, Sugar,” and “Um, Um, you look good, Sugar.

 ”While saying this, he had a leering look on his face and would be looking my body up and down, dwelling on my breasts, my buttocks, my legs and my pelvic area. . . . Very often he would run his hand down the back of my head and neck in a suggestive manner that mortified me and made me feel degraded,” she said.

The ensuing lawsuit eventually cost Los Angeles $2 million in legal bills and the city settled with Cavalier for $175,000.

Where I work behavior like that would get you into some kind of deep dutch with Human Resources. You really have to wonder what goes on down there in Los Angeles City Hall. Then there is this revelation regarding our newly elected California State Assemblyman:

Chris Holden had an even weirder episode with his wife Michelle. In 1998 she was arrested for sex with two teenage boys, 15 and either 14-15 respectively. While she denied in court that she had done anything other than engage in voluntary oral sex with them, she at one point wrote a letter to the County Probation Department claiming to have been raped. The 8 count grand jury indictment charged her with oral sex and sexual intercourse with the older boy and committing a “lewd act” on the younger one.

At her sentencing hearing, her attorney accused the boys of being “gangbangers,” but given that they had been baby-sitting the Holden family’s children, one would have to call into extreme question why one would hire “gangbangers” as baby-sitters.

Perhaps Chris should have been spending more time at home rather than attending all of those important Pasadena official functions that come with the job of being a City Councilmember.

As far as Ishmael Trone goes, you're going to have to go and read Tucker's article. If what he has turned up is true (and he does supply what looks to be incriminating documents), it would appear that Ishmael Trone is angling for a Pasadena City Council seat appointment tonight in a district where he is not living. Something the applicable California state laws frown upon mightily. Just ask L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcon if you don't believe me.

Blog the Sierra Madre City Council Meeting Tonight!

Yes, we will be at it again this evening. A couple of our more stalwart Council Bloggers have real lives and won't be on this evening, which leaves more room for you. Plus I'll be on because that is what I do. It all goes down at 6:30, water rate hike and all.

http://sierramadretattler.blogspot.com