From the Goldsmith campaign....

JUDGE GOLDSMITH CHASTISES SCOTT PETERS FOR POLITICIZING THE AG'S SUNROAD INVESTIGATION

(San Diego, CA. - May 22, 2008) Superior Court Judge Jan Goldsmith, candidate for City Attorney of the City of San Diego, today charged Scott Peters, one of his opponents, with grandstanding in the wake of Peters' call for the San Diego District Attorney to investigate allegations against current City Attorney Michael Aguirre for the crime of extortion.

Earlier this week, Peters urged District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to investigate allegations contained in a report by the California Attorney General's Office. That report was the result of an investigation into whether Mayor Jerry Sanders had engaged in corruption in the Sunroad matter. The AG's report found no wrong-doing by the mayor, but the investigation did uncover allegations that Michael Aguirre had threatened the mayor's office over the Sunroad issue.

"Scott Peters knows full well," said Goldsmith, "that Bonnie Dumanis has endorsed me in the race for city attorney, and that she would be prohibited by conflict-of-interest rules from investigating Mr. Aguirre on this issue. This is simply political grandstanding at its worst."

Ms. Dumanis has declined to investigate the allegations against Mr. Aguirre contained in the AG's report.

"She understands the law. I understand the law," added Goldsmith. "Why doesn't Mr. Peters - who wants to be the City's attorney - understand the law?"

Goldsmith said that the Attorney General's Office is the agency that would likely determine if criminal laws have been violated and that is the office that issued the report. "They don't need politicians publicly calling on them to charge their political opponents two weeks before the election."

Goldsmith pointed out that grandstanding over political investigations is what Mike Aguirre has done and Mr. Peters has joined with Judge Goldsmith in criticizing it. "I suppose Mr. Peters really didn't mean it. He does not seem to understand that it is wrong. There seems to be something in the air at City Hall which has politicians regularly calling for investigations and prosecution of other politicians."

The risk Mr. Peters runs, Goldsmith stated, is that if criminal charges are pursued they will be viewed as politically motivated by Mr. Peters on the eve of an election. That could jeopardize a criminal prosecution. "He ought to be quiet and let the professionals at the Attorney General's office independently determine whether there is probable cause to pursue this," Goldsmith said.