Letters to the Editor: Kevin de León wants to serve his constituents. So why isn’t he resigning? (Editor’s note: De León filed a motion Friday to allow readers to send in letters to the editor about the issue at hand. We will publish many of these letters and others in the next few days.)
On Mar. 12, 2011, de León asked readers to call him to request that he resign from office, because of a pending lawsuit over a campaign fund-raising incident. The suit alleges that he and his campaign illegally used donations from non-residents in California and other states without permission. De León maintains he did nothing improper, and only used donations to cover campaign expenses. (More on this lawsuit in the March 13th edition of the “De León Report:” “It’s not clear whether de León will be in court May 16 in Riverside County Superior Court in connection with a fraud suit filed by a third-party.”)
De León was appointed chairman of the San Diego City Council in 2010. The other council members appointed him to that position over the objections of some Republican leaders and the City Council itself. They then took him to their lobbyist to secure a seat in the City Council. There he helped lobby for other politicians, most notably for his predecessor, Jim Horn.
De León’s new job is to represent the citizens of San Diego. A good thing, since he is at the center of the community’s problems.
As our colleague, Jim McTague, recently wrote: “de León’s latest job does not necessarily bring him closer to his constituents; it brings him to the center of their problems while adding a layer of the political patronage he did not seek when he was hired.”
The fact is that he got a job he wanted, and he is now acting like the spoiled son he is. In short, he’s acting like a politician. The fact that many people find that distasteful does not justify his attempt to get elected by any means necessary.
Kevin de León
San Diego
P