Judge orders re-filing of charges in illegal campaign contributions case

09:01 AM PDT on Saturday, October 4, 2008

Richard K. De Atley
The Press-Enteprise

Three perjury charges must be re-filed in the illegal campaign contribution and perjury case against Inland auto dealer Mark Leggio and three codefendants, a judge ruled Friday.

San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Bryan Foster agreed with Leggio attorney Thomas J. Warwick that the counts did not sufficiently describe the alleged acts, which focus on the filing of a state campaign contribution disclosure form.

Prosecutors said Leggio, a major donor to local Republican candidates, made campaign contributions exceeding the legal limit from 2002 through 2006. A 37-county indictment returned last June says more than $50,000 in illegal campaign contributions were laundered.



Silvia Flores / The Press-Enterprise
Perjury charges against Mark Leggio lack adequate specificity, a judge rules.

Leggio donated the maximum amount to a candidate and sent over more money by having colleagues make the contributions and then illegally reimbursing them, the indictment alleged.

The four defendants -- Leggio, two employees of his auto agencies and one former employee -- have not yet entered pleas. Grand jury testimony said all three employees denied to an investigator that they had been reimbursed.

The challenged perjury charges stem from Leggio's filings of state-required campaign contribution reports. The language says Leggio stated as true in the document a "matter which he knew to be false," but does not give details.

"It says the document is wrong -- but it doesn't say how it is wrong ... it doesn't say anything," Warwick said of the three perjury counts. "The law requires specificity," he said during the hearing.

Warwick declined comment afterward.

Deputy Attorney General Michael J. Cabral said outside court the changes would be made to the three counts. "We just need to allege exactly what it was, that they had made contributions in somebody else's name," he said.

Foster denied defense motions that attacked the other charges in the 37-count indictment. He set Nov. 5 for the next hearing in the case.

The defendants can file more challenges, called demurrers, against the amended indictment.

Among the recipients of the suspect donations were current state Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, and 2006 Assembly contender Brenda Salas, the mayor of Banning.

Others include Bill Leonard, a former legislator who received contributions for his successful bid for the state Board of Equalization in 2002; Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia; Alan Wapner, an Ontario city councilman who got money in a failed run in 2004 for the 61st Assembly District seat; and Elia Pirozzi, a Rancho Cucamonga Republican who is now a San Bernardino County judge.

None of the candidates is suspected of being in on the alleged plot, and authorities have suggested no motive.

Leggio is the part owner of Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, Mountain View Chevrolet in Upland and Diamond Hills Auto Group in Banning.

Reach Richard K. De Atley at 951-368-9573 or rdeatley@PE.com