District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis released a letter of recommendation Wednesday that she wrote for the son of a campaign contributor who has been indicted on charges of making illegal campaign contributions to her and other local politicians. Dumanis called it āmuch ado about nothing.ā
The letter was written to the president of the University of San Diego recommending the school admit Susumo Azano, Jr., son of Mexican billionaire Jose Susumo Azano Matsura.
inewsource, KPBS and a number of other media organizations have pressed Dumanis for the letter since it was mentioned in a federal court hearing on Azano Matsuraās case in the beginning of June. The media coalition signed a final legal request for the letter Monday, threatening to sue the District Attorney if she did not comply by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
The news organizations have contended that the public is entitled to see the letter under the California Public Records Act. The letter carried particular relevance given the allegations against Azano Jr.ās father.
Dumanis had refused to comply with requests to produce the letter, citing privacy concerns by the family and a protective order in federal court, among other reasons.
U-T San Diego requested letters of recommendation written by other elected officials, specifically, the Board of Supervisors and the county sheriff. All complied.
Dumanis released the letter on KUSIās television program Good Morning San Diego. KUSI was one of a few news outlets that had refused to join the the legal quest for the letter, claiming it āwas protected speech and part of a federal investigation.ā
Dumanis told KUSI she believed she had no obligation to release the letter, and only did it in āher personal capacity,ā not as District Attorney.
āOur legal beagles in the office looked at it, Iāve looked at it, and I believe itās not a public record,ā Dumanis said. Dumanis said she wrote the letter at the request of Ernesto Encinas, a former San Diego police detective Dumanis said sheās known for more than 20 years. Encinas was indicted and has pleaded guilty in the pending federal case.
The recommendation was written on letterhead with Dumanisā name, title and a seal, but in the interview, she said it wasnāt her official letterhead. In the letter, she calls Azano, Jr. āan exceptional student and individual,ā but doesnāt mention any personal relationship she had with him or his father.
In the morning interview, Dumanis said she didnāt know Azano, Jr. personally and had āsomebody prepare the letterā for her. In these situations āwhen someone I know that is vouching for a person, asks me to write a letter, I make it clear by not saying, you know, itās somebody I know.ā
In a statement released with the letter, Dumanis said, āSpeculation over this letter has been without merit. Ā Even though this is not a public record, but a personal letter, I have decided to release this letter in this case only. It is my hope that by doing so, we can all focus on holding the individuals charged with crimes responsible for their actions.ā
Azano was indicted in January on charges of using straw donors to funnel more than $500,000 into San Diego politics with the help of Encinas, a Washington, D.C.-based ācampaign guruā and a San Diego lobbyist. Azano allegedly gave $100,000 through a company he controlled to the PAC āSan Diegans for Bonnie Dumanis for Mayor 2012, Sponsored by Airsam N492RM, LLC.ā
Congressman Juan Vargas and former Mayor Bob Filner also allegedly received contributions from Azano. It is illegal for a non-U.S. resident to give to a political campaign.
In addition to inewsource, the following media organizations joined the legal challenge of Dumanisā refusal to release the letter: City News Service, KFMB News 8, KNSD/NBC 7, KPBS, KSWB/Fox 5, the San Diego Daily Transcript, San Diego Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists San Diego, U-T San Diego, and Voice of San Diego.
Edited by inewsource Executive Director and Editor Lorie Hearn. Emily Burns contributed to this report.
I donāt know District Attorney Dumanis, but I agree with her that this letter is much ado about nothing. Why then was she so reluctant to release it? It certainly doesnāt say anything about the son of the indicted Mexican citizen which violates his fatherās or his own privacy or which implies improper influence upon the District Attorney to obtain this letter of recommendation. And the letter basically doesnāt say anything which would sway the judgment of a thoughtful and competent admissions officer at the University of San Diego. I hope the whole issue will now go away.
William E. Miller, resident of San Diego County
William I think the fight is about whether this type of correspondence is legitimately a ārecordā that is subject to disclosure requirements. The content of the letter is nothing much. The fact that itās on official letterhead and signed in her capacity as DA makes it something of concern.
Jenny R,
Thank you for the courtesy of your reply. on further refection, I think you are right. Anything written on an official letterhead and signed by an elected public official should be considered a public record. As District Attorney, Ms. Dumanis knows the law. My guess is that she resisted releasing the letter because she was embarrassed. To write a recommendation on official stationery for someone she did not know is an abuse of her office, and she knows it.
The point is Dumanis does know him. She attended a meeting at his home in Coronado and had a meeting with him and Sheriff Bill Gore. These are facts. Why is she lying?
Question for Ms. Tegarden,
Why would the District Attorney be meeting with Azanoās son and Sheriff Bill Gore? And would that meeting with the boy and the Sheriff have been before or after her letter of recommendation was written? Iām not sure what facts you are referring to. How can you be so sure that the District Attorney knows Azanoās son? Iāll stick with my belief that she was embarrassed about writing a letter of recommendation for a person she didnāt even know.