Why did Pete Aguilar Choose to Run as a Democrat?

Reposted from ieprogressive.com

Pete Aguilar has many questionable, unscrupulous, and disreputable relationships with corrupt Republicans that other Progressive Democrats and I find very unsettling.

These are just a few of Pete’s Conservative Pals that I have uncovered:

Jerry Lewis

Republican politics in the Inland Empire begins and ends with one man, Jerry Lewis. Mr. Lewis’s corruption is well known, but since he hails from a safe district that brings in the pork (earmarks), he was never seriously challenged. Pete Aguilar knew Jerry Lewis through Larry Sharp the former CEO of Arrowhead Credit Union.

During the Lobbyist Copeland Lowery scandal, Redlands Councilman Mr. Aguilar defended the lobbyist by giving the rational that public officials have no relationships with other public officials. How can they not? They sit on many boards and commissions together. 

Mr. Lowery helped steer pork into the district through his man in Congress Mr. Lewis who sat on the Appropriations Committee. The scandal was uncovered indirectly because the FBI was investigating Rep. Duke Cunningham for corruption.

This loyalty was rewarded when Rep. Jerry Lewis endorsed Pete Aguilar in his race for city council.

Larry Sharp

Many scandals occurred during the tenure of Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Sharp. Shady accounting practices, lack of internal controls, and a PAC gone wild with power. This occurred during the housing boom, so only a few were aware and even cared about the scandals to boot anyone out. After the bust, Mr. Sharp is now at Cal State San Bernardino and Mr. Aguilar is running for Congress. They have left Arrowhead Credit Union still in conservatorship of the federal government and the Inland Empire with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. How convenient . . .