Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Here is a letter from Jack Foster who works on the Diaz campaign to The Union and reporter Liz Keller, who wrote the article about the clerk-recorder lawsuit.

Dear Ms. Kellar:

By now you probably have hard from many that your piece in the Union failed to point out that Gregory Diaz’s opponent in the race for County Clerk-Recorder is the former lawyer for AtPAC. You should also know that AtPAC is Barry Pruett’s largest campaign contributor to date. This is a matter of public record at the County Clerk-Recorder’s office. Ask for Pruett’s Financial Disclosure filed on CA Form 460. It shows that AtPAC has contributed $1500. Also, if you go to Google and type AtPac and Barry Pruett, you will find the minutes of the supervisors’ meeting where Pruett spoke as a representative of the firm. In continuing fairness to Mr. Diaz, it would be nice if you used a picture of him that didn’t look like it came from the police blotter. There is a lot of erroneous chatter going on in the community about this matter. It would be great if the Union could step up and by dealing in facts could put this matter to rest.

Jack Foster
Nevada City

Filed under: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

February 6, 2010 at 9:21 pm

Jeff, I respect your decision to back Greg. It’s a free country and I appreciate that you’ve been upfront with your readers about that; however, there’s sort of an insinuation in your post that needs to be corrected.

I’ve never hidden from anyone that I represented that company back in 2008 in connection with the RFP, but I don’t represent them in connection with this lawsuit which is related to trade secret misappropriation and computer fraud (Downey Brand). Different issues…Different attorneys. In fact, I don’t represent them at all as a company, and I have not for about five months. Despite your insinuations, I played no role in this lawsuit coming to fruition.

I’m sure that Greg Diaz wants people to believe that I had something to do with it, which is why he’s spreading the word that I’m behind it, but the fact is that he made a big mistake, and he’s desperate to keep that under wraps and try to blame someone else for his problems.

We have had years of drama out of the Clerk-Recorder’s office and Greg is continuing that saga. He’s gone through four assistant recorders in fifteen months. He takes contracts from our local businesses and shifts them to his friends out of state. If this lawsuit is to be believed (and it remains to be seen), he may have done so improperly. If that’s what “experience” gets you, then perhaps what we really need is some good old-fashioned judgment to make the right decisions.

I’ve been a Director of Business Development for Apple Computer (another topic on which you and I agree!), have been a small business owner and have advocated for the elderly as an attorney. I’m going to run a strong and professional non-partisan office as our next clerk-recorder. I’m being supported in this race by Republicans, Democrats and independents of all stripes who think it’s time we end the drama in our Clerk-Recorder’s office, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

All the best,
Barry

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