Trutanich Is The New McCarthy

Joseph McCarthy and Carmen "The Clown" Trutanich
Can you tell the difference?

Both the Los Angeles Times and the LA Weekly yesterday published articles about Trutanich. The Los Angeles City Attorney is running for District Attorney and has secured the services of John Shallman as campaign manager. This was previously reported on Political Pantloads, as was the LA Weekly's observation that the relationship between former supporter Steve Cooley and the Clown of City Hall is over; "Cooley was livid"said the LA Weekly, when he found out that Trutanich was running for District Attorney - the Clown didn't even have the guts to tell Cooley, he had to hear about it second hand.

Comments to the LA Times Op-Ed piece were interesting, especially this one from anonymous blogger "Truth and Justice for All," we repeat it here because it has some highly insightful comments on the real Trutanich and probably explains why Jim Newton's Op-Ed piece was not as complete an excoriation of Trutanich as it should have been - Newton got swayed by Trutanich's double-speak rambling and teary-eyed false sincerity:

"The truth about Trutanich is really disturbing. I believe he's a con man of the first order. Just look at how he tried to play you Jim - first he bambozzles you with rambling responses to questions, then, when you see through the "BS," he plays the emotion card and does the teary eyed "I'm just trying to do the right thing" act. What you may not realize is that every moment of his affable bumbling emotional fool routine, is just that; an act. It's designed to fool you, designed to disarm your criticism and he is a master at doing it. 


After lunch I bet he gave you a bear hug and a slap on the back after luch, and promised you would be "friends for life." Sorry, but it's the line he uses all the time and he delivers it beautifully, but while you're all overcome with this extragavent expression of emotion, he's looking at you with eyes colder than an aligator's, hoping he can turn you and use you. 


It's not really surprising; 20 years as a successful defense attorney, Trutanich learnt how to use distraction and deception to be an effective advocate for his client. That's no disrespect to defense attorneys, it's what they have to do to give their often guilty clients the zealous representation that the law demands. But it's not duty of a prosecutor to win at all costs - we don't want another McCarthy in power."


"Truth and Justice for All" writes with a passion an insight that can only come from someone close enough to Trutanich to know his modus operandi, his "schtick" - distraction, disarmament and utter insincerity.

Both the LA Times and the LA Weekly mentioned Trutanich's failed bid to get his own Grand Jury, but it was "Truth and Justice for All" who made the darkest connection of all; "We don't want another McCarthy in power."

The comparison to Joseph McCarthy is not without merit. Trutanich wanted his own Grand Jury to be a veritable Star Chamber, where Trutanich could grill and grind his enemies on the flimsiest of evidence, much like McCarthy did with his inquisition. It's not hard to imagine the long line of Trutanich's enemies outside his secret Grand Jury room, and it's not hard to imagine just how abusive Trutanich's use of that power might be. We got a glimpse of that over the billboard issue when Trutanich jailed a businessman on a $1M arrest warrant that a court later reduced to $150k - still well above the schedule bail for a misdemeanor violation of the City Code.

Interesting, if you look at the timing of Trutanich's bid to get his Star Chamber, it was around the time that he began to realize that his "criminal aspects" investigation into the Michael Jackson memorial was going nowhere. There was no evidence to back-up Trutanich's bombshell statement to the City Council that there were "criminal aspects" to anything.

But if Trutanich had Grand Jury powers he could haul AEG's Tim Leiweke in to his secret court and subpoena every shred of paper that might prove a connection to some "criminal aspect" to what most people believe was an appropriate, if expensive, memorial to one of America's greatest musical talents.

This is the TRUe threat of Trutanich gaining Grand Jury powers, and while the City Council put an end to that nightmare violation of civil rights, it's only a temporary fix. If Trutanich succeeds in his bid to become District Attorney he gets instant access to not one but two secret Grand Juries, and you can bet they will be in session 24/7.

TRU Lies V: Trutanich Starts Trying To Talk His Way Out Of Promises

As predicted, Carmen "The Clown" Trutanich gave a clear indication that his word is worth about as much as a plugged nickel; nothing.

In a statement to the LA Times concerning the rumors that Trutanich has already started bragging to people that he's running for District Attorney, the Times reported that Trutanich "said he declined to rule out running for the position but said he would only think about joining the race if Cooley was not seeking reelection."

"I am keeping my options open," Trutanich told the Times, and then went on to deliver one of his infamous double-speak, nonsensical, rhetorical statements that always leaves you scratching your head wondering what the hell he means, or whether he even knows what he said. "Am I going home and saying, 'Dear, call me Mr. D.A.?' No, I'm the city attorney of Los Angeles and I'm very proud to be holding this job."

As for the signed pledge NOT to run for DA before serving a full first term and seeking a second, the legal lummox of City Hall has clearly been doing a little spin doctoring to try to find a way out of this promises. You can read them yourself in the Times, but what it basically amounts to is "What I said was only for the purposes of my campaign against Jack Weiss, it was a stunt. And anyway, things have changed. Do you want to believe me, or your lying eyes?"

Clearly Trutanich cannot be believed about anything he says concerning his campaign, so let's see how that works for him. His opponents will remind him about it every time he opens his mouth.

TRU LIES IV: TRUTANICH TO RENEGE ON PLEDGE NOT TO RUN FOR DA

Anonymous sources in the City Attorney's Office have confirmed what has been suspected for some time; Carmen "The Clown" Trutanich is going to run for District Attorney in the February 2012 primary election and renege on his $100,000 pledge to serve two terms as City Attorney.

Those familiar with Carmen the Clown's sleazy style of deception will be not be surprised at the news, just horrified that someone who campaigned on a platform of honesty, transparency and integrity could be so arrogant as to think himself fit to be DA when he cannot even be trusted stick to his signed, sworn and written pledge, which you can read in full by clicking here.

The highlights of Trutanich's pledge are:

1. Serve out his elected term in its entirety.
2. Seek a second term.
3. Specifically will not seek the position of District Attorney.
4. Pay a $100,000 fine from personal funds if he violates the pledge.
5. Pay for a full page advert in every LA newspaper with a headshot and the words "I AM A LIAR" in large block print.

Trutanich must be so drunk on power that he has forgotten the main reason why he was elected; because he was not Jack Weiss. In fact it was Councilman Dennis Zine who first said "Vote for anyone but Weiss," which Trutanich took as an endorsement.

If his past antics aren't enough to convince voters that Trutanich is no different to lying career politicians like Weiss, then this will seal the deal with even the most hard core republicans. In violating his sworn oath, Trutanich shows the same arrogance and disdain for voters that he and his sycophantic lap-dog blogger, David Berger (who we know is the "City Hall Insider"), used to contrast themselves from "Career Politicians."

Interestingly, Dennis Zine has endorsed Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson's candidacy for District Attorney. It's probably only a question of time before Zine says that Trutanich is an "egotistical individual who will do anything to try to convince voters to elect him to public office," it's what Zine said about Weiss. Seems the shoe fits Trutanich too.