Crime Scene - Philanthropist Daphna Ziman's Home Hosts Illegal Fundraiser

Monday, May 4, 2009, Beverly Hills

It's altogether another world for the vast majority of Los Angelenos; the world of the rich and privileged who clubbed together on Monday, April 27, 2009, to pay money to Jack Weiss.


Unbeknownst to most of them, they were participating in a crime - violating campaign finance law for the benefit of a corrupt politician; Jack Weiss.

An apparently small group of Beverly Hills super-rich elitists gathered at the Ziman home; a 10,311 square foot, 7 bed, 7 bath $16,000,000 (yes, that's $16M) Mega-Mansion that hides behind dense manicured foliage and a matched pair of wrought iron gates that costs more than the average Angeleno earns in a year.




The price of admission? A check for $1,000 to Weiss and no questions asked, thank you.

The gated compound that is 1006 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210 is home to the super-rich celebrity couple Daphna and Richard Ziman. But on Monday night it was nothing more than a sordid crime scene.


The multi-millionaires, philanthropist Daphna (pictured above with American Idol winner Ruben Studdard) and her husband, former lawyer Richard, were probably unwitting accomplices to the filthy world of Jack Weiss politics that the LA Times bravely uncovered in their recent article.


The aerial photographs above show what is invisible to the majority of Los Angelenos; a secluded multi-million dollar home that offers a lavish lifestyle that few can achieve, let alone aspire to.

Welcome to the world of Jack Weiss, where hard work is a dirty word, and deceit and dishonesty are simply the incidences of admission.

Jack Weiss is engaged in a desperate battle to salvage his failing political career, and chose to ignore the law and shake down as many of his wealthy 'friends' as possible to finance his filthy, negative and untruthful campaign to buy the City Attorney's Office.


Co-host to the illegal fundraiser was Kelly Candaele (pictured above), a self-proclaimed "writer, filmmaker, teacher and elected official in Los Angeles."

In 2005 Candaele was appointed by Mayor Villaraigosa to the Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System Board of Directors. In one of his rare appearances at City Hall proceedings, Jack Weiss as Councilmember for Council District 5, unquestioningly voted for the Mayor's appointee.

Equally unquestioningly, in 2004 Weiss also voted for a law that prohibits City appointed officials such as Candaele from engaging in campaign fundraising activities. Doubtless, Weiss relished basking in the illusion of being an "ethically correct politician."

However, at the same time that Weiss voted for the law, he was under investigation for being the recipient of thousands of dollars of money laundered illegal campaign contributions from property developer Alan Casden's corporate connections.

Ever the master of deceit and deception, Weiss evaded prosecution claiming that "He did not know" that the contributions he received were illegal. However, despite Weiss's ignorance he has has steadfastly refused to return the illegal campaign contributions as required by the Los Angeles City Charter and demanded by the Fair Political Practices Committee.

Given Weiss's apparent comfort level with accepting illegal campaign contributions, it cannot have bothered Weiss one iota that the Ziman's home was to be a crime scene on the night of Monday, April 27, 2009.

On that fateful night Weiss was unquestioningly admitted behind the wrought iron gates to the mansion where he doubtless obsequiously greeted co-host Kelly Candaele - the man he voted to appoint as a commissioner to the Pensions Board. Weiss cannot possibly have not known that Candaele was breaking the law in fundraising for him - he voted for Candaele and he voted for the law prohibiting Candaele from doing what he was doing; fundraising for Weiss.

But Weiss's desperation to finance his acquisition of the City Attorney's Office was more important than the law he's supposed to follow. Weiss needs that money to finance his hate-filled campaign airing glitzy misleading television advertisements proclaiming himself as some sort of super crime fighter. The law seemingly only applies to ordinary people, not the elite who worship at the feet of Jack Weiss.

Weiss apparently scooped up about $20,000 in donations on the night of the crime. You may well think that $20,000 is far less than the Mayor's 'Golden Boy' should have been able to extort from the Beverly Hills elite, but the reality is that Jack's arrogance and lack of people skills has finally caught up with him, and the donations are far and few between.

Big Union money now holds the key to Weiss's future, but as the sordid details of the 'Kellygate" scandal now unravel the incredibly arrogant and facile deceit Weiss practiced on his wealthy 'friends,' perhaps organized labor will chose to distance themeless from the slow motion train wreck that is the Weiss campaign.

Weiss's campaign manager s currently Mayor Villaraigosa and his campaign strategist is San Francisco based Ace Smith who masterminded Hillary Clinton's failed Presidential campaign.

Both Villaraigosa and Smith are probably wondering how they could have been so inept as to hitch their wagons to Weiss, and both are probably looking for a convenient bus under which to throw Jack Weiss.

While Jack Weiss was busy raking in illegal campaign donations on Monday night, Carmen Trutanich was hosted at a legal fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel in Universal City.

Carmen Trutanich has been endorsed by the LA Times, the LA Daily News, the Metropolitan News and every single law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County including District Attorney Steve Cooley, Sheriff Lee Baca and the LAPD Union. Now you know why.

In the face of overwhelming evidence of either ineptitude or arrogance, or both, anyone who stands by Jack Weiss is condemned to be tarred with the same brush of cynical derision for the laws of mankind.

Jack Weiss's illegal conduct has gone unchallenged for too long. The very thought that this sort of elitist scum has any place in civilized society is an affront to basic notions of decency, and it's time to let criminal prosecution determine Jack's future.

It's time to elect decent and honest City Attorney, and Carmen Trutanich's appellation as the 'People's Lawyer' is perhaps the most fitting description of who we need to look after our interests.

As for Weiss, the "Elitist's Lacky" - as long as the super-rich continue to thrown their money like confetti at Weiss, they risk being sucked down into the dirty world of unethical conduct that is Jack Weiss; Los Angeles' version of Rod Blagojevich.

Weiss Fundraiser Violates Ethics Laws - What a surprise

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A shocking revelation in the LA Times shows that on Monday, while the Trutanich campaign held a fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, the Beverly Hills elite were toasting Jack Weiss at an illegal fundraiser.

The illegal fundraiser was co-hosted by one of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's pension board appointees; Kelly Candaele, pictured below.


City Ethics Commission laws prohibit city employees from political activity of this sort. Mr. Candaele resigned as soon as the cat got out of the bag, but apparently the Ethics Commission will investigate and take whatever action is appropriate.

Weiss, a self-proclaimed legal expert on everything, will doubtless claim "no knowledge" of either Mr. Candele or that he was a City employee - Weiss's denials are very predicable. Weiss, of course, is no stranger to Ethics Violations, many of which were the subject of a KNBC investigative report "Laundered Elections."

The $20,000 or so raised at the illegal fundraiser will be returned according to Weiss's campaign spokeshole Ace Smith, who issued a written statement "Jack Weiss believes that his campaign must be held to the highest standards." The statement was written, one assumes, because Smith could not keep a straight face during a face to face interview.

Weiss has many wealthy friends and supporters. He is a member of the "westside elite," born into luxury and living in a $3M Bel Air mansion with his trust fund heiress wife and two (presumably) privately educated children. Weiss lives far above most Los Angelenos, literally and metaphorically. Small wonder then, that Weiss has not a clue about the concerns of the vast majority of Los Angelenos, and it's no surprise that he's not above dirty back-room dealings to "get things done."

Los Angeles voters simply cannot afford to allow the perpetrator of such a disgracefully flagrant violation of campaign finance laws to serve as the chief law enforcement officer of Los Angeles.

This time Weiss was been caught before the election and in time to prevent illegal campaign contributions from bloating his hate-filled negative campaign. Previously, Weiss's wrongdoing took years to come to light, by which time the damage was irreparable.

Los Angelenos truly owe a vote of thanks to Carmen Trutanich for focusing attention of Jack Weiss's prior misconduct, and a second and third vote of thanks to LA Times reporters David Zahniser and Phil Willon for breaking this story.

Kelly Candaele's website can be viewed by clicking HERE. Mr. Candaele describes himself as Kelly Candaele "a writer, filmmaker, teacher and elected official in Los Angeles." No doubt the reference to the "elected official" will be removed in due course.

But M. Candaele was not the only person hosting the illegal fundraiser with close ties to City Hall. The LA Times also reported that "Two other hosts of Weiss' fundraiser hold positions with Wetherly Capital, a company that has promoted investing opportunities to two city pension boards, including the one on which Candaele served. Wetherly, known in industry circles as a "placement agent," has become a subject of interest in recent weeks for investigators looking into allegations of kickbacks at the New York state pension fund."

Weiss has long been suspected of overly close relationships with billboard operators, contractors and developers who benefit from their "friendly" relationship with the embattled wealthy westside elitist councilmember for Council District 5.

Weiss will attend another fundraiser April 30, hosted by developer Rick Caruso who currently has a high-density development before the City Planning Committee. Weiss has not recused himself from voting on that development, and can apparently see no conflict of interest.

The Weiss campaign has been becoming increasingly desperate as the election nears and Weiss faces the prospect of a forced departure from politics, perhaps to "spend more time with his family?"

Ethics like those of Jack Weiss are truly the substance of used toilet water. Please vote for an end to this affront to decency and honesty.

Click HERE to read the full report in LA TImes.