Rocky Delgadillo
Rockard "Rocky" John Delgadillo (born July 15, 1960, in Los Angeles, California) is the former Democratic City Attorney of Los Angeles. In June 2009, he announced his candidacy for the statewide office of attorney general, the seat being vacated by Democrat Jerry Brown, who is running for governor, in the 2010 election.[1] He went on to lose the Democratic nomination to San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, after placing fifth with a little over ten percent of the vote.
Education
- Graduated from Franklin High School
- Bachelor's degree, Harvard University (1982) with honors
- Juris Doctorate, Columbia Law School (1986)
Professional experience
Upon receiving his law degree, Delgadillo was aboard the Los Angeles-based private practice firm of O'Melveny & Meyers as a senior attorney. In the wake of the Los Angeles riots, he was tapped by future Clinton Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, to serve as Director of Business Development for the nonprofit organization, Rebuild LA. Delgadillo later joined the Office of Mayor Richard Riordan as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, working to create jobs and economic growth within the city.
Noteworthy events
Medical marijuana
During Delgadillo's tenure as City Attorney, the number of medical marijuana storefronts located near Los Angeles schools, parks, and residences rose in spite of the city's moratorium on the opening of new storefront dispensaries. The Interim Control Ordinance, drafted by Delgadillo's office in late-2007, included a "hardship" exception, which granted immunity "for those firms already in business and registered with the city."[2] Over five hundred dispensaries to date have applied for exemption from the ordinance.
Staff use
In June 2007, Delgadillo admitted to requesting his office staff to run errands on his behalf and to baby-sit his two children. The city attorney's office said that these government employees performed these duties on their own personal time and were often paid by Delgadillo. Some staff members said that these demands were made during normal business hours.[3] If true, it would have violated the Los Angeles County Municipal Code Section 49.5.5, which states that "no city official ... shall use his or her position or prospective position, or the power of authority of his or her office or position, in any manner intended to induce or coerce any person to provide, directly or indirectly, anything of value which shall accrue to the private advantage, benefit, or economic gain, of the city official or employee, or of any other person."[4]
State car use
In 2004, Delgadillo's wife, Michelle Delgadillo, backed her husband's city-issued GMC Yukon into a pole, resulting in over a thousand dollars in damages. Not only was she found to have been driving the city-owned vehicle with a suspended license, the Los Angeles Times published an article that said that she still had an "outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear in court in connection to a 1998 traffic citation."[5] After going to court and pleading no contest to the charges, she was given a year probation and a $431 fine. At the time of the accident, Delgadillo had the car repaired at the city's expense. Three years later, public watchdog organizations accused him of misusing taxpayer funds. He then reimbursed the city of Los Angeles for $1,222 for the repairs.[6]
Tax problems
Delgadillo's wife, Michelle, served as founder and president of her own consulting firm, C.R.D. Inc., which she operated out of the couple's home. Economic disclosure forms filed by the city attorney showed that for three years, starting in 2002, her business "generated between $10,000 and $100,000 a year." Although she reported her income during that period on her personal income tax returns, she failed to do so on her business forms. As a result, the state-operated Franchise Tax Board barred her from operating within the state of California. For the next two years, Michelle Delgadillo continued to run her business in spite of having no tax registration certificate.[7]
Elections
2010
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary[8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | Kamala Harris | 33.1% | |
| Democratic Party | Chris Kelly | 15.9% | |
| Democratic Party | Alberto Torrico | 14.9% | |
| Democratic Party | Ted Lieu | 10.5% | |
| Democratic Party | Rocky Delgadillo | 10.1% | |
| Democratic Party | Pedro Nava | 9.9% | |
| Democratic Party | Mike Schmier | 5.6% | |
| Total Votes | 1,676,360 | ||
2006
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary Election[9] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Jerry Brown (D)
|
63.3% | |||
| Rocky Delgadillo (D) | 36.7% | |||
| Total votes | 2,456,498 | |||
2005
- 2005 Race for Los Angeles City Attorney - Primary and General Election
- Rocky Delgadillo ran unopposed in both contests
2001
| 2001 Race for Los Angeles City Attorney - Primary Election[10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Mike Feuer
|
39.3% | |||
| Rocky Delgadillo | 38.0% | |||
| Lea Purwin D'Agostino | 15.6% | |||
| Frank L. Tavelman | 7.1% | |||
| Total votes | 467,130 | |||
| 2001 Race for Los Angeles City Attorney - General Election[11] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Rocky Delgadillo
|
52.4% | |||
| Mike Feuer | 47.6% | |||
| Total votes | 542,765 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Delgadillo currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Michelle, and their two children - Christian and Preston.
See also
External links
- 4rocky.com 2010 Campaign website
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine was used to recall this version of the website from January 7, 2010.
Footnotes
- ↑ LA Weekly, "Rocky Delgadillo Dreams of Being California Attorney General?" 24 June, 2009
- ↑ Business Week, "Medical Marijuana in LA: A Growth Industry?" 3 June, 2009
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Delgadillo used his staff for baby-sitting, errands" 21 June, 2007
- ↑ Los Angeles Municipal Code Sections 49.5.1 et seq
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Delgadillo's wife pleads no contest," June 21, 2007
- ↑ The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Wife of city attorney says she's embarrassed by driving problems" 21 June, 2007
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "L.A. city attorney's wife's firm had tax lapse" 23 June, 2007
- ↑ California Secretary of State - 2010 Statewide Primary Election Results (dead link)
- ↑ CA Secretary of State: Vote 2006 - Democratic Primary Election Results
- ↑ Office of Los Angeles City Clerk - 2001 Official Primary Election Results
- ↑ Office of Los Angeles City Clerk - 2001 Official General Election Results
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