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THE NÚÑEZ WINE CAPER CONTINUES

"After two months of excuses, contradictions, and a sprint through a hotel kitchen (the speed of which had to impress the media he was bolting away from), it seems that Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez finally has everyone on the same page with an excuse for the $3,238 in wine he purchased at Cave L'Avant-Garde in the French region of Bordeaux: They didn't accept American Express.    

"If it took Núñez over two months to figure out what card his $3,238 expense went on and why, how can Californians expect him to figure out California's looming $14 billion deficit?  If this is how the Speaker's office will be crunching numbers, Californians should expect to be in for a very long summer." 

Hector M. Barajas, Communications Director, California Republican Party

Núñez Now Offers Expenditure Excuse for Wine:

"Friends of Fabian Núñez, the speaker's political committee, bought the wine from a shop in the French region of Bordeaux because the merchant did not accept the party's American Express card....  But it did take Núñez's Visa." (Nancy Vogel, "Democratic Party Buys Wine From Núñez," The Los Angeles Times, 12/13/07)

Núñez Refuses to Offer Details on Expenses:

"‘As leader of the California Assembly, Speaker Fabian Núñez has traveled the world in luxury, paying with campaign funds for visits to some of the finest hotels and restaurants and for purchases at high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton in Paris,' Times reporter Nancy Vogel wrote, adding that ‘the Los Angeles Democrat refuses to provide details on tens of thousands of dollars in such expenditures.'" (Dan Walters, "Politicians Living Large Under Fire, The Sacramento Bee, 10/11/07)

"Nuñez still has no legitimate reason to keep from Californians just why, and on whom, he spent all that money. The fact that his staggering travel bills weren't paid by taxpayers does not end the discussion. He was on public time, even if not the public dime, and is living a tycoon's lifestyle only because his position as speaker makes him valuable to contributors who want to sway him. It's troubling enough that special interests are paying his bills. It's worse when he wants the public to simply trust, without explanation, that his $3,199 stay at the Hotel Parco in Rome had some nexus to his official duties."  (Editorial, "Fess Up, Fabian," The Los Angeles Times, 10/9/07)

After Refusing To Answer, Nunez Offers 1^st Round of Excuses:

"He ‘became a hit around the world' after his global warming bill passed last year, the speaker said, and received many foreign invitations. ‘The dollar is pretty darn weak in Europe these days' and that runs up expenses, he added. He also buys lots of gifts for dignitaries, staffers and other legislators.  Nuñez defended paying for all this with political money rather than tax dollars. "My conscience wouldn't allow me to do that, so I use my campaign funds. That's between me and the people who contribute."...  ‘I know this stuff doesn't look good. But it's legitimate. I did not do anything wrong.'" (George Skelton, "Political Funds Shouldn't Pay For Officials' Pleasure," The Los Angeles Times, 10/11/07)

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