Story Archive

Government Integrity

Orange County, Calif., Supervisor John Moorlach says Mark Denny was a “sweet, bright kid” who got involved “in something really bizarre.” The “bizarre” thing left Denny with a misdemeanor on his record, and county Chief Executive Mike Giancola says he knew about it when he hired Denny. “I have full confidence in my chief operating officer,” says Giancola, and Moorlach says a labor leader’s complaint about one of Denny’s new responsibilities is just hardball. The charge to which Denny pleaded guilty in 1996 was election fraud: he’d been involved in a Republican ballot-manipulation plot. Union boss Nick Berardino says giving Denny oversight of the voter-registration office “demonstrates a clear disregard of the sanctity of the precious American privilege of the vote.” (AC/Los Angeles Times) ...Second chances are very American; taking chances with the vote, not so much.