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Home My WebLink AboutCORRESPONDENCE - 85Ci -WATT TIEDER WATT, TIEDER, HpFFAR & FITZGERALD, L.L.P. May 7, 2020 4 Park Plaza, Suite 1000 Irvine, California 92614 Telephone: 949-852-6700 Facsimile: 949-261-0771 www.watttieder.com Colin C. Holley Partner Direct Telephone: 949-852-6768 cholley@watttieder.com VIA EMAIL AND CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Mayor Miguel Pulido and Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 mpulidok santa-ana. org Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney for the City of Santa Ana Best Best & Krieger LLP 18101 Von Karman Ave., # 1000 Irvine, CA 92612 sonia. carvalhokbbklaw. com v Re: Demand for Action to Protect Sanctity of Political Process and Stop Harassment, Intimidation, Abuse of Power, Trespassing, Theft, and Destruction of Constitutionally Protected Political Signs Dear Mayor Pulido, Councilmembers, and Ms. Carvalho: We are writing as attorneys for Daniel Melton, a Santa Ana businessman who leases commercial property at the corner of W. Edinger Avenue and S. Fairview Street ("Center"). Mr. Melton allows limited use of portions of the commercial property for the posting of political and election signs, only by persons to whom Mr. Melton has given specific authorization. Over the past several weeks Mr. Melton has allowed use of the property for the posting of signs supporting the effort to recall City Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias. We are informed that several actions have been taken to try to stop that Constitutionally protected political expression. To the extent the events discussed below are confirmed to have occurred, they would constitute, at minimum, illegal harassment, intimidation, abuse of power, trespassing, theft, and destruction of Constitutionally protected political signs. Mr. Melton, as a good neighbor, has asked us to reach out to you to express his outrage and to demand action to stop any such conduct so that the sanctity of fair political process is protected, and so that his commercial tenants -which include essential workers providing food service during this devastating pandemic -can operate without being subjected to unwarranted threats, harassment and intimidation. Mayor Miguel Pulido and Santa Ana City Council Sonia R. Carvalho, City Attorney for the City of Santa Ana May 7, 2020 Page 2 Mr. Melton has reviewed footage, captured by the commercial property's security camera on April 24, 2020, that Mr. Melton believes shows Ms. Iglesias and Michael Tardif, the Ward 6 representative of the Santa Ana Historical Resources Commission, arriving at the commercial property in a white vehicle, getting out, and taking down pro -recall signs. We are informed that the video footage has been provided to the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the Santa Ana Police Department. Further, we are informed that an individual believed to be Angie Cano, the Ward 6 representative of the Santa Ana Planning Commission, visited the property, late at night, and confronted a tenant of the Center regarding the posting of pro -recall signs. Shortly thereafter, an individual purporting to be Ms. Cano sent a message to Mr. Melton via Facebook Messenger asking if he is the owner of the property and requesting that he call her, an oddly timed request given the circumstances. It is our further understanding that on or about April 28, 2020, the same tenant who had confronted the woman believed to be Ms. Cano on the property on the night of March 27, 2020 received a visit from an individual representing herself to be Santa Ana Code Enforcement Office threatening the towing of a van recently tagged with graffiti. Taken as a whole, the information we have received about these events paints a very disturbing picture. If true, they suggest a concerted effort by City representatives of Ward 6 to suppress Constitutionally protected freedom of speech using harassment, intimidation, abuse of power, trespassing, theft, and destruction of political signs. We trust that you will be sufficiently alarmed by this information to initiate an investigation and take whatever actions are necessary to put a stop to it. We look forward to receiving confirmation that you are taking immediate steps to do so. Very truly yours, Watt, Tieder, Hoffar &Fitzgerald, LLP Colin C. Holley CCH *Exempt because it would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (Government Code Sections 6254(c); 6255(a)) Salas, Diana From: Mike Tardif <mike@tardifsheetmetal.com> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2020 7:35 AM To: eComment Subject: Public Comment for Agenda Item No. #85C May 19, 2020 - Michael Tardif Santa Ana City Council, Abuse of Power by Councilman Jose Solorio Councilmember Solorio has the privilege to add items for discussion to the Council agenda. He does not ethically and rightfully have the power to have included in the Council agenda on this item correspondence which accuses and falsely names Santa Ana citizens of unsubstantiated crimes - specifically removing campaign signs. Solorio could have contacted me and I would have informed him and provided proof that I was out of town for the entire weekend that the alleged incident occurred. The Council can certainly discuss the issue of removal of campaign signs and include the letter alleging so - but to include the names of Santa Ana citizens based on a video, which shows a person who is clearly not me, is a political dirty trick and breach of the Santa Ana Code of Ethics and Conduct and an Abuse of Power. Mike Tardif Santa Ana Salas, Diana From: Angie Cano <angiercano@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 18, 2020 11:44 AM To: eComment Subject: 85C agenda item - public comment I would like to add the following message as a public comment: Forwarded message From: Angie Cano <aniercano ,gmail.com> Date: Fri, May 15, 2020 at 4:05 PM Subject: Re: Cease and desist demand letter re. correspondence in 85C agenda item May 19th Council meeting To: Mike Tardif <mikePtardifsheetmetal.com> CC: Carvalho, Sonia R. <SCarvalhona santa-ana.org>, Ridge, Kristine <Kridge@santa-ana.org>, <lennemannatt.net>, Cecilia Iglesias - SA Council <CI leg siasPsanta-ana.org>, Jose Solorio - SA Council <JSolorio@santa-ana.org>, Ward 6 PC - Angie Cano <ACano ssanta-ana.org>, Jose Solorio <isolorio a,aol.com> Good evening, My name is not relevant at all for agenda item 85C, given that there is 0% evidence of me placing or removing any political signs in the surrounding area mentioned. Also, I believe this to be a personal matter from Councilman Jose Solorio who wants to waste public funds to start a smear campaign against Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias; both are running for Mayor in November. I respectfully request that all names be removed in the discussion of this matter. I believe it would be a better use of our time to look for ways to decrease crime in the area by holding slum landlords like Mr. Melton accountable for the upkeep of their property. The city has already wasted public funds and resources to file a lawsuit against Mr. Melton in 2015 and now he's wasting more resources to investigate his absurd hallucinations. Thank you for your time, and I apologize that so much time from public servants has to be wasted on these baseless claims. -Angie ANGIE CAN® CELL: 714.957.5744 On Fri, May 15, 2020 at 3:43 PM Mike Tardif <mike ,tardifsheetmetal.com> wrote: Santa Ana City Attorney and City Manager, I am aware of a Council agenda item (85C) which was just added today to the Council Agenda for the upcoming Council meeting of Tuesday May 19t" I demand that all names of persons against whom allegations have been made in this letter be redacted from correspondence provided to the Council & therefore to the public as well. These allegations are unsubstantiated and are false against all named persons. Names are not necessary for the Council to discuss these issues. This is purely a political dirty trick and abuse of Power at the expense of citizens of Santa Ana. If the names are not redacted forthwith the City and the Council person who brought this forward will be subject to lawsuit for damages to reputations of those persons being sought. Consider this a cease and desist demand letter for you to redact the names of all persons against whom allegations are being made in the correspondence contained in the 85C agenda item for Council meeting May 19, 2020. Mike Tardif Santa Ana Sent from Gmail Mobile