Orange County’s Power Club
Staff editorial

The race for Orange County’s first district seat might seem remote to Mission Viejo politics. Two relative newcomers, Trung Nguyen and Janet Nguyen (both Garden Grove Republicans), await results of a recount to determine which of them will be seated. The Feb. 6 special election disappointed the county Democrat and Republican good ol’ boys, whose favorite candidates, Tom Umberg and Carlos Bustamante, placed third and fourth, respectively.

Trung Nguyen is the prot‚g‚ of Assemblyman Van Tran, and Janet Nguyen appeared to lack big-name backers. Reports about those lining up behind Trung and Janet during the recount are bringing familiar names to the forefront. Trung’s supporters include some well-known county Republicans. Those lining up behind Janet include associates of the Orange County lobbyist who tried to buy three seats in Mission Viejo’s 2006 council election. The lobbyist’s meddling in Mission Viejo politics includes financial involvement in the city’s 2002, 2004 and 2006 campaigns.

Perhaps the lobbyist was hedging his bets by supporting both Carlos Bustamante and Janet Nguyen. The lobbyist’s friend – a Newport Beach attorney – follows two steps behind him and makes a timely appearance whenever political hay is at stake. The Newport Beach attorney is now representing Janet in the recount. Some people might call it coincidental, but the same attorney connected to the same lobbyist represented Pat Bates in her lawsuits and appeals when she was battling Cassie DeYoung to become supervisor of the county’s fifth district. To others, all of the above are examples of the lobbyist trying to gain influence in every corner of the county.