Another One Bites The Dust: Fourth Elected Prosecutor Withdraws Endorsement Of Spitzer
Telling OC Watch that he “cannot condone DA Spitzer’s comments,” Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe is the fourth elected official to withdraw their endorsement of Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer as fallout from racist statement scandal continued to grow through the weekend.
“I withdraw my endorsement,” DA Riebe told OC Watch.
On Friday, three elected prosecutors abandoned Spitzer in the wake of a scandal that erupted out of a recent meeting discussing whether the office should seek to execute a Black man. During the meeting, Spitzer allegedly opined out of nowhere that “he knows many black people who get themselves out of their bad circumstances and bad situations by only dating ‘white women.’” He also said that while in college, he “knew for sure that this black student did so on purpose to get himself out of these bad circumstances and situations.” People who attended the meeting, as well as anyone who read the comments and has a pulse, have characterized these comments as “racist”.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, the top prosecutor in California’s second most populous county, was the first to rescind her endorsement of Spitzer, OC Watch first learned. Stephan recently left the Republican party, but still holds endorsements from Republican political action committees such as the California Women’s Leadership Association.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, a Republican, disavowed Spitzer. “The news of the comments and actions of Mr. Spitzer was shocking, disappointing and in the end inexcusable… I must retract my endorsement of Mr. Spitzer in his re-election campaign,” Hestrin told OC Watch through his campaign manager.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, a Democrat who is not seeking re-election, became the third elected prosecutor to confirm to OC Watch that she had withdrawn her endorsement of Spitzer. She declined to make any further statement.
Another California prosecutor, Inyo County District Attorney Tom Hardy, who is listed in the “endorsements” section of Spitzer’s campaign website, told OC Watch that he actually hadn’t ever endorsed Spitzer. “Thanks for asking, but I hadn't ever endorsed him. If I am on some list, it must be a mistake. I better email his campaign. Thanks for the heads up.”
As support for Spitzer eroded, renewed calls for his resignation also arrived over the weekend. Rick Callender, the President of the California State Conference of the NAACP, told OC Watch that the organization is calling for the “immediate resignation” of Spitzer.