Janet Holds Presser On Red Allegations, Van Tran Attacks
Posted by: Jubal | 06/02/2008 11:59 AM
Apparently, Supervisor Janet Nguyen held a press conference this morning to refute allegations she has ties to people who have ties to Communist Vietnam, and to push back against Assemblyman Van Tran.
I would have gone, but didn't know anything about it. Fortunately, Janet's campaign made sure to keep TheLIiberalOC.com's Chris Prevatt well-informed, so he posts a report here. There's even a photo of Janet's supervisorial staffer and political bag man, Nick Le Cong, being outraged about false allegations.
Nick Lecong, readers will recall, is the Janet aide-de-camp who gathered up the money (mostly his own) to fund a completely untrue "independent expenditure" against Carlos Bustamante very late in the 1st Supervisor District special election. I guess Mr. Lecong only objects to false allegations when they are directed at him.
Total Buzz gave a run-down last week on the controversy about Sup. Nguyen and this Eric Le fellow.
I don't believe the actual pictures causing so much fuss have appeared in the OC blogosphere yet, so let's post them so readers can factor them in to whatever conclusions they rech.
Here's Eric Le at Janet Nguyen's victory party (he's the guy to Janet's left):
Here are Janet Nguyen and Eric Le at a Vietnamese community event (which in and of itself doesn't mean anything):
Here's Eric Le's business card:
Kind of hard to miss the Commie motif, isn't it? If you don't want to be accused of being in cahoots with Hanoi, I'd suggest not converting the communist Vietnam flag into your corporate logo -- or inviting the President of Communist Vietnam to visit the U.S. as your guest:
That said, this is more of a reflection on Eric Le, not Janet Nguyen. It's his business, after all.
At the same time, it's not as if this controversy has erupted out of thin air.
Frankly, I'm terribly sympathetic to a lot of the expressions of outrage in this race. Neither side has a monopoly on low blows.
I would have gone, but didn't know anything about it. Fortunately, Janet's campaign made sure to keep TheLIiberalOC.com's Chris Prevatt well-informed, so he posts a report here. There's even a photo of Janet's supervisorial staffer and political bag man, Nick Le Cong, being outraged about false allegations.
Nick Lecong, readers will recall, is the Janet aide-de-camp who gathered up the money (mostly his own) to fund a completely untrue "independent expenditure" against Carlos Bustamante very late in the 1st Supervisor District special election. I guess Mr. Lecong only objects to false allegations when they are directed at him.
Total Buzz gave a run-down last week on the controversy about Sup. Nguyen and this Eric Le fellow.
The claim gained momentum thanks to a letter that circulated on Vietnamese American listservs and then printed as an Op Ed in the Nguoi Viet Daily News last week. The letter was signed by Anh Son Tran, Tung Xuan Nguyen and Nhon Ky Phan, leaders of the protest of another paper, Viet Weekly.You can read the whole thing here.
The letter questions Supervisor Janet Nguyen's connection with a man called Eric Le, who is supposedly president of the Vietnam Business Association. The little-known VBA organized the controversial reception for Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point last June, where thousands of Vietnamese Americans gathered to protest the communist leader. Le is said to have connections with the communist government.
The letter further alleges that Janet Nguyen knew about the president's visit before the community did and that she hid the president's itinerary from the Little Saigon community. The letter also questions whether the supervisor is in some way connected to the Nguoi Viet protesters and whether Nguyen's advisor, Nick Le Cong, is related to Eric Le because their Vietnamese names share common last and middle names "Le Cong." The Register was not able to obtain a complete translation of the letter, only a summary.
I don't believe the actual pictures causing so much fuss have appeared in the OC blogosphere yet, so let's post them so readers can factor them in to whatever conclusions they rech.
Here's Eric Le at Janet Nguyen's victory party (he's the guy to Janet's left):
Here are Janet Nguyen and Eric Le at a Vietnamese community event (which in and of itself doesn't mean anything):
Here's Eric Le's business card:
Kind of hard to miss the Commie motif, isn't it? If you don't want to be accused of being in cahoots with Hanoi, I'd suggest not converting the communist Vietnam flag into your corporate logo -- or inviting the President of Communist Vietnam to visit the U.S. as your guest:
That said, this is more of a reflection on Eric Le, not Janet Nguyen. It's his business, after all.
At the same time, it's not as if this controversy has erupted out of thin air.
Frankly, I'm terribly sympathetic to a lot of the expressions of outrage in this race. Neither side has a monopoly on low blows.
I know many Vietnamese that travel to Vietnam to visit their relatives, send them money, etc. They tell me that south Vietnam is very capitalistic now and it is benefitting the people there, and bringing up the very poor standard of living to something better. I do not condone trade with ANY communist country and in fact it is my opinion that China should not be allowed in the UN until they straighten out their human rights issues and their continued persecution of Christians.
However, I am glad that Janet had this press conference, and I am glad she has the guts to fight against "the machine". I like people with guts. I don't like bullies that continually attack (like rabid dogs) people who are just trying to do their jobs. I am looking forward to tomorrow when Janet gets (at least) 51% of the vote and this continued harrassement stops. Van Tran committed to that at the Central Committee Meeting. That if Janet wins, he will support her - more correclty state he said "we will support her and get behind her". I'd like to see him live up to those words.
In the meantime he's been doing everything in his power to stop Janet from winning. I'm glad she's "plucky" and "fiesty" and dedicated to the proposition that all men/women are created equal!!
GO JANET!!! WIN BIG!!!
Matt,
I learned about the press event through a post that Bolsavik made on his blog. I contacted the campaign to request an English translation of what went on and they sent it to me.
Sorry you missed the event. It was kind of entertaining. And I will agree with you that both sides have issued their share of low blows. I just wish they would focus on issues that matter rather than who was in a picture with who.
Chris is a closeted "Janny". Come out and admit it already. "Janny" Prevatt likely has Janet's campaign as one of his "fives".
He makes a call and they quickly get him the info requested. Others contact the campaign and they are lucky to get a response at all.
I guess being a "Janny" has its priveleges eh Prevatt?
President Triet's visit to Dana Point last year is the same event that Janet Nguyen supporter Eric Le organized and sat with the highest ranking communist officials. Eric Le is the President of the Vietnamese Business Alliance which is a well known conduit for senior officials of communist Vietnam who visit California.
Janet's long and well established relationship with Eric Le shows the immaturity of her campaign. Eric Le is a political supporter of Janet's who sits at her side during her victory party for supporters and who has given her the maximum amount of money allowed by law according to FPPC documents. According to recent photos, she even celebrated the 2008 Vietnamese New Year holiday party with Eric Le.
It is ridiculous to compare this close, well documented relationship to the thousand of chance encounters and polite photos all of Orange County's elected officials are sure to take in the course of regular public meetings and functions.
Janet has expressed her support for Mr. Le and has a close relationship with Mr. Le.
And if we listed all those that belong to Mr. Le's organization that live in Southern California or San Jose, how many of them do you think would be registered Republicans vs. Commies?
The United States has more items on it's stores shelves made in China than those made in the USA. Is the USA a communist sympathizer?
If we showed every picture of every elected official that has had his/her picture taken with someone of a liberal bent, we wouldn't have enough paper to print it on.
I actually wanted my picture taken with Arnold Schwartzenegger at one time. That was before he became a Democrat tool. Pictures only mean you were in the same place at the same time as someone else. If you happen to be in the same picture with them on different occasions and those occasions are when people of like minds are celebrating where someone of Mr. Le's background would like to be seen with public officials, you really can't make him leave. You can't tell people not to take pictures of you.
The problem with Janet's connection with Eric Le is that she can't truthfully or fully explain her relationship with this highly suspicious chracater, who attened her victory party and maxed out for her campaign, about four months before he officially received the Commie head-honcho Nguyen Minh Triet into the OC.
Le is not an ordinary Vietnnamese-American businessman doing business in VN. There are many of those types walking aorund Little Saigon. We are not certain that Le's a naturalized citizen. He is, much much more seriously, a representative and a conduit for senior ranking viet commie officials in the U.S. That we do know.
That is also where the issue lies and Janet Nguyen and her propagandists, despite their full throttle protestations, can't get away from.
It's one thing to be a Viet-American doing business in VN. It's totally another matter when you cloak yourself as a Viet-American business entity, whose real function is to guide and chaperone senior Commie officials into Little Saigon. This guy is radioactive and Janet Nguyen is heavily infected by being close to him, given the various photos that she took with him at different functions, including one in which she seemed to be introducing him to other guests at her own victory party.
Unless she explains this issue directly and clearly, it is not going away for the community, regardless of the June 3 outcome and her wish for it to go away.
This isssue transcends electoral politics for the community. It has been about two weeks since this whole scandal was brought to light, and yet, her response has been to duck, evade, divert, and blame the Van Tran camp. This behavior will only cause more suspicion and questions from others.
Anon,
As a rejoinder to your post, June 3 will not be the end for Janet. If she wins, she will have two more years of communist bombardment from her enmity. It is true that Janet did not invited President Nguyen Minh-Triet but her relationship with Mr. Eric Le will only precipitate further assaults. The problem is not doing business with Viet Nam but currying favors with the political officials.
I agree the post above with the simile of Mr. Eric Le as radioactive; especially with the restive Vietnamese in Little Saigon.