Recently Governor
Schwarzenegger was forced to ask for the resignation of Brent Wilkes, a
campaign contributor he appointed to two state boards, after media
reports of Wilkes’ involvement in the bribery scandal surrounding
Congressman "Duke" Cunningham. Nonetheless, Arnold has refused to
return Wilkes’ $73,600 in donations. Why? That precedent would cost him
over $1 million in campaign contributions he’s accepted from other
donors he’s appointed to high office.
Wilkes comes in at a lowly #7 on Arnold’s "Appointments For Sale" list:
1) Greenlaw Grupe, Jr., California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, $250,000 from The Grupe Co.
2) Donald Fisher, State Board of Education, $223,500 from Fisher, wife and son
3) Ed Reno, Boating and Waterways Commission, $185,000 from Allergan
(Reno is Allergan’s National Dir. of State Government Affairs)
4) Douglas Barnhart, Del Mar Fair Board and the Race Track Leasing Commission, $113,600 from Barnhart and wife
5) Richard Riordan, former Secretary of Education, $92,400 from Riordan and wife
6) Kelly Burt, Del Mar Fair Board, $80,000
7) Brent Wilkes, Del Mar Fair Board and Race Track Leasing Commission, $73,600 from Wilkes, wife and Wilkes’ company
8) A.G. Kawamura, Food & Agriculture Secretary, $21,200
9) Fredrick Ruiz, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and University of California Regents, $10,000
If Arnold wants to keep the million plus these donors paid for their
positions, then he should at least require his other donor appointees
to resign.
