In a video statement, Newsom said he was “proud” to be counted among Trump’s political opponents and alleged that the U.S. Department of Justice is searching for wrongdoing rather than investigating an established crime. He said federal agents recently contacted family friends and former employees of him and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Newsom tied the scrutiny to his possible interest in a future presidential campaign, saying the Trump administration is using federal law enforcement against perceived rivals.

According to the governor’s office, neither Newsom nor Siebel Newsom has received a subpoena. But the office said it believes federal agents have issued subpoenas seeking financial records from businesses connected to the Newsom family. Newsom accused investigators of misusing the grand jury process by seeking years of documents.

Newsom founded the hospitality company PlumpJack before entering statewide office and placed his business holdings in a blind trust when he became governor. Siebel Newsom runs two nonprofit organizations, the California Partners Project and the Representation Project.

A person in the U.S. Department of Justice familiar with the matter told CalMatters that at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom have been underway. One concerns Siebel Newsom’s taxes, while the other is connected to Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff.

Williamson pleaded guilty in May in a corruption case. The governor has not been implicated in that scandal.

The governor’s remarks come as Newsom continues to position himself as one of Trump’s most forceful Democratic critics, a role that has raised his national profile beyond California. The dispute also places renewed attention on the governor’s family businesses and nonprofit work as federal investigators seek records tied to those entities.

Newsom’s office framed the investigation as part of a broader pattern of retaliation by Trump against political adversaries. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the scope of the inquiries or announced charges against the governor or first partner.

Original source: CalMatters

The post Newsom Rebukes Trump as Investigations Into Trump Family Intensify appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

In a video statement, Newsom said federal agents have recently contacted family friends and former employees as part of what he characterized as an open-ended search for wrongdoing.

“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees,” Newsom said. “Not because they found a crime, but because they simply are trying to find one.”

Newsom said he believes he has been placed on what he called Trump’s political “hit list,” alongside figures such as former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of California and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee.

A person in the Department of Justice familiar with the matter said at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom have been underway for about a year in the Eastern District of California. According to that person, the inquiries stemmed from whistleblowers and people in Sacramento and involve questions related to Siebel Newsom’s taxes, as well as a separate investigation connected to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson.

Williamson pleaded guilty in May in a corruption case that has not implicated the governor. She had been indicted on wire fraud charges tied to allegations that money was routed from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra, the former Biden administration health secretary and a leading candidate to succeed Newsom as governor.

Newsom’s office pushed back sharply on the federal activity, saying prosecutors turned their attention to the governor and his family after failing to find evidence tying him to the Williamson case. The governor’s office said investigators have asked about private matters involving the Newsom family, including the couple’s marriage.

The governor alleged that federal agents are seeking records and misusing the grand jury process by combing through years of documents. Newsom’s office said neither he nor Siebel Newsom has received a subpoena, though the office said the governor “looks forward” to receiving any such request.

Officials in Newsom’s office also told reporters that the specificity of some investigators’ questions has led them to believe federal agents may have subpoenaed financial records for businesses tied to the Newsoms.

Before becoming governor, Newsom built the PlumpJack hospitality business, which he has placed in a blind trust. Siebel Newsom is a filmmaker and leads the California Partners Project and the Representation Project, nonprofit organizations focused on gender equity and representation.

Disclosure reports filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission show Newsom solicited at least $1.9 million in charitable donations, known as behested payments, in 2024 and 2025 for the California Partners Project. The donations included $1 million from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Newsom’s office said federal agents have contacted more than a dozen people and organizations connected to the couple, including friends, former employees, business associates, donors and affiliated groups. The office did not identify those contacted.

The governor’s accusations were made in a strongly worded video but did not include direct evidence that Trump personally ordered or directed the federal inquiries. Newsom’s office maintains that the Justice Department is seeking a new allegation after the Williamson investigation, which began during the Biden administration, did not implicate the governor.

Matthew Rowan, an attorney for Williamson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The White House referred questions about Newsom’s remarks to the Justice Department. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on any and every enemies list that you have,” Newsom said. “But leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta!”

Original source: CalMatters

The post Newsom Says DOJ Interviews With Friends Signal He’s on Trump’s ‘Hit List’ appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The program was created after the nationwide protests that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. That year, California lawmakers approved legislation shifting investigations of fatal police shootings of unarmed people from local prosecutors to the California Department of Justice.

Supporters argued that state oversight would reduce conflicts of interest because district attorneys frequently depend on officers as witnesses in criminal cases. The change was intended to strengthen public confidence in decisions about whether officers should face criminal charges.

Five years later, the program has completed 41 cases, according to a CalMatters review. In none of those cases has the state recommended criminal charges against an officer who shot and killed an unarmed person.

Attorney General Rob Bonta had originally said the Justice Department would aim to finish the investigations within a year. That has not happened. On average, cases have taken nearly two years and five months to complete. Eight investigations, including several from rural Northern California, have remained open for more than three years.

The Justice Department has said funding has been a challenge. The police shooting review program received about $13 million a year, though the department had requested $26 million. Investigators raised concerns about staffing shortages as early as the program’s first case.

The delays can have serious legal consequences.

In California, prosecutors generally have three years to file charges for most crimes. Some offenses, including murder, have no statute of limitations. But if a police shooting investigation passes the three-year mark, certain possible charges can no longer be filed. Those include involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, charges that have been used in past cases involving officers who killed people.

Lengthy investigations can also affect police discipline at the state level.

A year after California created the shooting investigation program, lawmakers approved a separate law allowing officers to lose their certification for serious misconduct. Decertification bars an officer from continuing to work in law enforcement in California.

That process also has a three-year deadline. If a Department of Justice investigation goes beyond that point, the agency can no longer recommend that an officer be stripped of their certification in connection with the shooting.

The decertification system is overseen by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, known as POST. The commission told CalMatters it can open its own investigations when officers are accused of serious misconduct.

The shift to state investigations has also revived debate over whether local accountability has been weakened.

Before the law took effect, many law enforcement officials and district attorneys opposed it. But some prosecutors who supported police reform also had concerns. They warned that moving cases to Sacramento could reduce pressure on local elected district attorneys, who otherwise would have to explain charging decisions to their own communities.

Cristine Soto DeBerry, who helped create a police-officer investigation unit while serving as chief of staff in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, said local prosecutors directly feel the weight of community concern, protests and public attention.

Under the current system, those charging decisions are handled by the state, not the county district attorney.

Local law enforcement agencies are still allowed to conduct their own investigations after a fatal police shooting in their jurisdiction. Bonta’s office has said the law does not prevent police departments or sheriff’s agencies from running parallel reviews.

In practice, however, CalMatters found that local agencies often step back once the state takes over.

Capt. Brian Cole, who oversees detectives for the Redding Police Department, said that when a case meets the criteria for state review and the Department of Justice accepts it, his agency does not conduct a separate criminal investigation during or after the state’s review. He said the Justice Department has full criminal jurisdiction over the matter.

Although the state says its review is focused on whether an officer committed a crime, the result in many cases is that the Department of Justice investigation becomes the only criminal inquiry into the shooting.

Original source: CalMatters

The post What to Know About California’s Backlog of Police Shooting Investigations appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The program, approved by state lawmakers and launched in July 2021, shifted investigations of fatal police shootings involving unarmed civilians away from local prosecutors and into the hands of the California Department of Justice. Supporters argued the change would reduce conflicts of interest and bring greater independence to decisions about whether officers should face criminal charges.

Nearly five years after the protests that helped propel the reform, the results have been slower and less decisive than many expected.

According to a CalMatters review, completed investigations now take an average of nearly two years and five months. Some cases have stretched beyond three years. Those delays can carry serious consequences: legal deadlines may pass, limiting the ability to pursue officer decertification or most potential criminal charges.

Through 41 completed investigations, the state Justice Department has not recommended criminal charges against any officer who shot and killed an unarmed person, CalMatters reported.

For families, the long timelines have added to the pain of losing a loved one. Jeanelle Couch, whose son David Couch was killed by a California Highway Patrol officer in Redding, said the state’s three-year investigation meant the family had to relive the shooting again and again.

“We can’t put it to rest,” Couch told CalMatters, noting that the family still has lawsuits pending against the state, the county and the officer involved. “But this is my life now. I don’t care how long it takes.”

The statewide program applies across California, including law enforcement agencies in Southern California and the Inland Empire when cases meet the criteria. Its creation followed a wave of demonstrations in 2020, when protesters demanded changes to policing, enforcement disparities and the way officers are investigated after deadly encounters.

Before the law passed, similar legislation had struggled in Sacramento. The national outrage after Floyd’s killing changed the political landscape, drawing new support for taking certain deadly force investigations out of local hands.

But the Justice Department has said the program has been hampered by limited resources. Officials requested $26 million annually to operate it, but received $13 million, according to CalMatters.

The gap between the reform’s promise and its pace has frustrated families who expected more timely findings. Unlike high-profile court cases or public hearings, much of the work now takes place behind closed doors as state investigators review evidence, prepare reports and decide whether an officer’s conduct warrants prosecution.

The issue remains central to debates over police accountability in California. For supporters of the law, independent state review is still an important safeguard. For families waiting years for a decision, however, the process can feel like another burden after an already devastating loss.

Original source: CalMatters

The post California Overhauled Police Shooting Reviews, but Families Still Wait Years for Answers appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd intensified national demands for police reform, shifted responsibility for certain fatal police shooting investigations away from local agencies and district attorneys. Instead, the California Department of Justice was required to investigate fatal shootings by law enforcement when the person killed was unarmed.

Supporters said the change would help avoid conflicts of interest that can arise when local prosecutors review cases involving police departments they work with regularly. They also argued the attorney general’s office would bring greater independence, credibility and resources to investigations that often draw intense public scrutiny.

But a CalMatters review found the program has fallen far behind the timeline promised by Attorney General Rob Bonta, who pledged after taking office in 2021 that investigations would be completed within 12 months. According to the review, the Department of Justice has not closed a single case within one year.

The average investigation has taken nearly two years and five months to complete. Of 41 closed cases, only eight were finished in less than two years. Thirteen use-of-force investigations have stretched beyond three years, a delay that can put some potential criminal charges out of reach because of statutes of limitations, except for the most serious allegations such as murder.

The delays also affect police certification. Once a case goes past three years, an officer generally cannot be decertified in connection with the incident, meaning the state cannot use that process to prevent the officer from working for another law enforcement agency.

So far, Bonta’s office has not prosecuted any officer under the program. It also has not referred any officer for decertification or discipline after completing a police shooting investigation.

The slow pace has frustrated families waiting for answers and officers waiting to be cleared or charged. It has also raised concerns among police leaders and former prosecutors who say a system intended to strengthen public trust may be undermining it instead.

“In my experience, three years is an awful long period of time, especially if you’re starting to come upon statutes of limitations,” said Anne Marie Schubert, the former Sacramento County district attorney who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2022.

Schubert said she was surprised that the most recent case closed by the program involved a shooting from 2023.

“Is it resources? Is it experience?” she said. “That’s a question I’d want to know.”

Bonta’s office has attributed the backlog largely to limited funding and the Legislature’s decision not to provide the full amount the Department of Justice requested when the program was created. The office also says local authorities are not barred from conducting their own parallel investigations.

In practice, however, local agencies often step back once the state takes over.

Capt. Brian Cole, who oversees the detective division at the Redding Police Department, said his agency does not conduct a separate criminal investigation when the Department of Justice accepts jurisdiction under the law.

“They have complete criminal jurisdiction of the matter,” Cole said.

One case that illustrates the delay began in Redding in February 2023, after a confrontation between California Highway Patrol Officer Ryan Cates and 31-year-old David Couch.

Couch had been jailed on Christmas Day 2022 and released on Feb. 8, 2023. His mother, Jeanelle Couch, said her son was experiencing a manic episode when he came home. In a lawsuit she later filed, she alleged he had been given the wrong medication for bipolar disorder during his jail stay and had spent much of that time in solitary confinement.

After his release, Couch returned to his mother’s home. She recalled that he seemed relieved to see family.

“He was happy to see us and he asked if we remembered him,” she said. The next morning, before she left for work, he spoke with her at length. “And then I didn’t see him again alive.”

That afternoon, Couch was sitting in his car in his mother’s driveway in a residential neighborhood. At 5:25 p.m., the California Highway Patrol received a report that a driver heading south on Interstate 5 had brandished a gun. The vehicle description and license plate matched Couch’s car.

Nine minutes later, Cates arrived at the home.

Dashboard camera footage showed Couch seated in a white Ford sedan with the driver’s door open. Cates ordered him to show his hands and put them up. Couch got out wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants, a gray baseball cap and a backpack. He held a cellphone with both hands.

According to the Department of Justice investigation, Couch also had knives strapped to his jacket, though he did not reach for them. The footage showed him walking toward Cates, who had his gun drawn.

Some of the exchange could not be heard clearly on the video. As the confrontation escalated, Couch told Cates to leave him alone, used profanity and said “shoot.” A struggle followed outside the camera’s view. The Department of Justice later reported that Couch gained control of Cates’ Taser.

Cates told investigators he believed Couch was trying to take his handgun. Moments later, after several audible clicks, Cates fired four shots. The encounter lasted about one minute.

Couch survived for nine days and died Feb. 17, 2023.

His sister, Lauren Metzger, wrote in an online fundraiser that the family could not understand why the shooting happened and said Couch did not have a gun on him when relatives and a friend found him in the street.

During the days Couch remained alive, a five-agency team led by the Redding Police Department began investigating the shooting. After Couch died, the Department of Justice took control of the case, and the local investigation ended.

More than three years later, the state completed its review. The Department of Justice investigation took 1,199 days and concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of Cates.

Cates returned to work, according to the California Highway Patrol. His attorney did not respond to messages from CalMatters.

Couch’s family has filed a federal lawsuit against the state, Shasta County and the officer. Shasta County and the state have denied responsibility. In its response, the county said Cates is entitled to qualified immunity, a legal protection that can limit civil liability for government officials, including police officers.

The statewide investigation program was born from Assembly Bill 1506, legislation pushed for years by former Assemblymember Kevin McCarty of Sacramento. The fatal shooting of Stephon Clark by Sacramento police in 2018 helped build support for outside review, especially after Schubert, then Sacramento County’s district attorney, declined to charge the officers involved.

Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 helped propel the bill through the Legislature and to Newsom’s desk. Police accountability advocates strongly supported the change, and Bonta, then an assemblymember, championed it.

But even before the law took effect, the Department of Justice warned that it did not have enough money to do the work as envisioned. The department asked for $26 million to create new investigative teams. State lawmakers approved about half that amount.

Then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra wrote to McCarty in January 2021 that the funding was “significantly lower” than the department’s estimates and not enough to create the professional teams needed for the new investigative and prosecutorial duties.

The original plan called for four regional investigative teams, based in Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles and Riverside — a structure that would have placed a dedicated team in the Inland Empire and another in Southern California’s largest metro area. Instead, the department received funding for two teams, one covering Northern California and one covering Southern California.

Within days of receiving its first case, the Department of Justice’s shooting investigation teams recognized they were short-staffed. In a 2022 budget request, the department said special agents could not complete dozens of tasks and assignments because staffing was limited.

One year into the program, investigations were already falling behind Bonta’s one-year goal. At the time, Bonta said the department would have to make do with the funding it had received.

“We got the funding that we got, and we’re going to make it work,” he said then. “We have no choice. We have to find a way.”

Since then, cases have continued to lengthen — first beyond one year, then beyond two. In 2025, one case passed the three-year mark.

The Department of Justice did not make anyone available for an interview with CalMatters about the backlog. In a written statement, a spokesperson said Bonta personally reviews every investigation and said the cases vary in complexity.

“All investigations are unique in their complexity, and some may take longer than others to investigate and reach a conclusion,” the statement said.

The office said it is working to improve speed and efficiency.

“We’re continuously identifying ways to tighten timelines and improve our processes,” the statement said. “It’s a balancing act — but it’s one we’re actively managing. Improvements are already taking hold. In the last two and a half years, we closed 9 times as many cases as were closed in the first two and a half years that the law was operational, and we remain committed to improving.”

Law enforcement leaders say the delays have become a serious problem.

Sean Thuilliez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said chiefs across the state have repeatedly pushed for faster reviews.

“When transparency is not accompanied by timeliness, the system risks falling short for everyone — eroding confidence, deepening mistrust, and prolonging uncertainty,” Thuilliez said.

Some prosecutors and advocates who support police accountability also have reservations about removing local officials entirely from the process. They argue that community pressure is often strongest at the local level, where families, activists and residents can confront elected district attorneys and law enforcement leaders directly.

Cristine Soto DeBerry, who helped create a police officer investigation unit while serving as chief of staff at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, said local prosecutors feel the weight of community concern in ways state officials may not. She now leads the Prosecutors Alliance, a progressive advocacy organization.

“Local concern, local protests, local interest is felt by local prosecutors,” DeBerry said. “The very real pain of family and community members that experience that absolutely has an impact on a prosecutor and their willingness to take this crime seriously.”

For Jeanelle Couch, the Department of Justice decision did not end her family’s search for accountability. She said she remains hopeful that the civil lawsuits will bring more answers about her son’s death.

“I want light on it,” she said. “That’s what I want. Just, justice.”

Asked what justice would look like now, she looked down.

“Now?” she said. “I don’t know.”

Original source: CalMatters

The post California Law Inspired by George Floyd Protests Had Unintended Impact on Police Accountability appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Bruce Jin, 61, of Los Angeles, had pleaded guilty in the case in January 2025, admitting that he and other co-conspirators “conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means,” the DOJ said in a May 1 statement.

Jin and two co-conspirators “entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment,” the DOJ said.

“The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (‘UC’) benefits. The indictment alleges that Economic Impact Payments, or ‘stimulus payments,’ were also obtained through fraudulent means.”

Economic Impact Payments were offered by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial relief to Americans.

Some unnamed members of the scheme, including a few believed to be from China, set up thousands of accounts at banks in the United States, using the personal information of identity theft victims. The unemployment compensation funds were then routed to these accounts.

Once the funds were credited, they were transferred to companies controlled by Jin and the co-conspirators.

When Jin received the funds, he made international wire transfers to a bank account linked to a company in China, totaling more than $35 million. An additional $2 million was transferred by Jin directly into the bank account of a Chinese person who controlled the company.

In addition to the 144-month prison term, Jin was ordered to forfeit more than $59 million in U.S. currency and other property. Two co-conspirators in the case, both from Los Angeles, have pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced this month.

Unemployment compensation is paid by a state to workers who lost their jobs due to layoffs or other circumstances, such as business downsizing. The compensation is intended to provide these workers with a source of income until they can find work.

On April 21, the DOJ announced that, in another case of unemployment compensation fraud, a Pennsylvania resident was indicted by a federal grand jury.

The defendant in the case worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. While working at the department, the defendant allegedly accepted unauthorized payments from people who filed for unemployment compensation. The payments were made to the defendant to expedite and secure certain benefits for the applicants.

According to the DOJ, the defendant’s actions resulted in $528,449 in unemployment compensation benefits being paid to claimants who were not entitled to them.

“This investigation and the resulting Indictment send a clear message that government employees who steal and misuse public funds will be brought to justice,” U.S. attorney Troy Rivetti said.

“Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud and safeguarding the public treasury.”

In an October 2025 update, the IRS warned Americans that some states were experiencing a surge in fraudulent unemployment claims being filed by organized crime groups using stolen identities.

People who receive mail from a government agency about an unemployment claim or payment that they did not file for may be a victim of such an identity theft scam, the IRS said.

The agency warned that fraudsters were creating websites mimicking legitimate unemployment benefit sites, including those of the state workforce agency (SWA), to dupe people and steal their personal information.

“To lure consumers to these fake websites, fraudsters send spam text messages and emails purporting to be from an SWA and containing a link,” the IRS said.

“The fake websites are designed to trick consumers into thinking they are applying for unemployment benefits and disclosing personally identifiable information and other sensitive data. That information can then be used by fraudsters to commit identity theft.”

The post California Man Sentenced for Stealing $59 Million in Public Benefits, Transferring Funds to China appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

California Department of Justice officials and Tribal community members were invited to the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center on Sept. 30 to explore the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis and brainstorm on possible solutions.

Missing in California Indian Country events are taking place throughout the four regions of the state, which has more than 700,000 Tribal citizens, the most Native American residents in the country.

This Southern California event resulted from a conversation between the Attorney General’s legal and policy advisor on Tribal affairs Merrie Lopez-Keifer and Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco. The two had been talking about various events the DOJ had hosted in Northern California.

“We thought it would be great to bring something similar to Southern California,” Vivanco said. “Our council agreed to host it and with the support of the DOJ we made it happen.”

This most recent event was developed and planned in collaboration with the Tribal governments and Tribal citizens within Southern California to be most responsive to the region’s Tribal communities’ needs. There are more than 20 federally recognized Tribes in this region. Local, state and federal justice partners have come together for these events to share critical information, resource availability and partnership in addressing the MMIP crisis in California.

The all-day symposium included more than 40 organizations and agencies that offered resources related to human trafficking, victim services, counseling for survivors and family members and more.

“For me, the highlight was all the Southern California Tribal involvement as well as elected officials from not only the state but many Southern California counties, too,” Vivanco said. “This was the first event I know of in Southern California where there were numerous resources and advocates available for discussion. I think providing so much information as to resources available was very helpful.”

Attorney General of California Rob Bonta welcomed everyone to the event and said the unfortunate reality is that many Tribal communities feel under threat, worried that their loved ones will go missing and will be lost to violence and murder. “This is unacceptable,” he said.

A separate room was available for anyone that wanted to privately record a testimonial about themselves or a family member affected by the MMIP crisis. Those that chose to speak publicly were invited to the stage to share their stories. Bertha Fraire of the Cherokee Nation detailed her daughter’s kidnapping and death, stating that no suspects have been identified and brought to justice even after four years.

Fraire said Aleyah Toscano was only 16 when she was abducted from school in Los Angeles County. Having been the victim of stalking in the past, Fraire said she was shocked that school officials did not take more precautions against such a thing happening. She has since dedicated her life to helping other families facing similar fights to hopefully find some closure. “I’m on a journey for justice,” she said. “Let’s start with kids who are still alive and victims of sexual abuse or rape. I stand here with a bleeding heart for all your children, all your families. Let us make a positive change.”

Veronica Cleland of the Iipay Nation of Santa Isabel shared the story of her brother, Forrest “Os” Boren Jr., who went missing in November of 2020 when he was 50 years old. She said the family has still not gotten any answers and continues to search for him. They feel Os was judged and labeled by law enforcement, including Tribal officers, and his disappearance was not taken seriously. She said they received no empathy, no compassion and no help. She said there needs to be transparency between law enforcement agencies working with families of MMIPs and sensitivity training for agencies handling MMIP cases. “We will never stop looking for Os. He has a six-year-old son who is starting to ask questions about his dad,” Cleland said. “We need to stay united in bringing home all our missing relatives. If you know anything, speak up about any missing person case; bring families closure.”

Leilani Thompson, from Barona, said her son went missing under suspicious circumstances in 2015 at the age of 20. A diabetic with long-standing health issues, she said many facts surrounding his disappearance didn’t add up, but that she could not convince El Cajon law enforcement officials that a crime had been committed. Eight years later, Thompson said she is still learning about the process involved with a situation such as this and is still on a mission to find her son. Her family is offering a $50,000 reward to enlist the aid of others in their search for him.

Rhonda Valenzuella shared her personal experiences “on behalf of myself and a family member and as a Soboba Tribal member” hoping to encourage others to report crimes to the authorities. Her brother-in-law Jerome Salgado Jr. went missing in 2016 and she said it was a chore to get constant updates on the investigation. Eventually he was found buried on the reservation which “gave us closure but traumatically tore our family completely apart.” Valenzuella became a victim of violence herself when she was raped three times in her early teens. She didn’t know where or who to turn to, so she kept quiet. Three years ago she was stalked, kidnapped, held against her will and sexually assaulted. She was petrified and when she was finally able to get out of the situation, she was afraid the rape might result in a pregnancy. A good friend helped her and convinced her to get help and report the crime. She contacted a clinic who turned her away because they had no program in place to assist rape victims. She went to a hospital who also did not have the proper resources to help her. She had to go to Riverside where the DOJ had a department within the hospital and after a four hour wait, she underwent an exam. Valenzuella reached out to a neighboring Tribe and the Cahuilla Consortium stepped up to help her. A few days after her ordeal, she still had no contact about her case from law enforcement. She admits all the circumstances that surrounded her ordeal did take a toll. She said there are still a lot of unanswered prayers but there is also hope. “For all of us to come together like this to spread awareness, to let you know that there is stuff that needs to be improved upon like our relationship with the Sheriff’s Department, the police department and with the DOJ. It’s events like this that are going to help mend that relationship. But proactiveness and speaking up and telling your truth? That’s going to make things better,” Valenzuella said.

Three panel discussions were held during the event. The first was a discussion of missing persons investigations and included representatives from several law enforcement agencies. Soboba Tribal Executive Officer Steven Estrada said, “It was good to see the Sheriff, not just from Riverside County but from other Southern California counties, on the stage during that panel. I never thought I would see a collaboration like that just 10 years ago. The presence of other personnel was good to see as well,” he said. “Although processes do not work perfectly, having sheriffs on stage and listening/answering questions shows their willingness to engage in important topics like this.”

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said there are many reasons why events like this are important. “Over the course of time cultures are developed, some good and some bad. If we ever hope to make positive change, those cultures must come together with the common understanding we are supposed to be making things better, not remain stuck in the quagmire of the past. Meetings like this are important for us to come together with our local Tribal Councils and the community to forge a future of cooperation and trust. We cannot expect to work through rough patches without first developing the relationships fostered by meetings such as this.”

Bianco said it helps everyone involved to be able to be personally engaged and hear the point of view of Tribal community members and understand what his department must do to earn their trust and respect. He added that it is also a perfect opportunity to inform the public of all that law enforcement does in their service to its communities.

Bianco said being able to personally speak with people about, and acknowledge, their concerns was a highlight of the event. “Being able to provide them with answers to questions, or updates to cases they may not have had, is helpful to all of us. Tearing down a wall with a hug and a tear is priceless,” he said.

The January 1 implementation of California’s statewide Feather Alert Program offers a resource to law enforcement agencies investigating any suspicious or unexplainable disappearance of an Indigenous person. The Feather Alert is activated by California Highway Patrol once the law enforcement agency has determined certain criteria has been met. Assembly Bill 1314 was authored by Assemblymember James Ramos who said the high rates of murdered and missing Indigenous persons is a “national tragedy that does not receive the scrutiny and attention that it deserves.” Every member of the community can play an important role in a Feather Alert, which is similar to the existing Amber Alert for missing children and the Silver Alert for missing senior citizens. For more information, www.chp.ca.gov/Pages/Feather-Alert.aspx.

“We have utilized the Feather Alert system on one occasion,” Sheriff Bianco said. “We will continue to work with our legislators to make positive changes through legislation.”

Estrada added that he was impressed by the number of agencies that participated in the panel discussions, hosted resource booths and shared information. The other two panel discussions centered on how to identify signs of human trafficking and MMIP victim services and closing the gap. Traditional opening and closing blessings and cultural sharing was presented by Larry Hammond and Avi-kwa-me Singers and Dancers, Paul Cuero and Kumeyaay Bird Singers and Wayne Nelson and The Southern California Bird Singers.

These Missing in California Indian Country events serve as critical public safety events for Tribal communities and aim to elevate the state’s response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis. These events allow for loved ones to report an individual missing, receive an update on an active missing person’s case and/or provide a DNA sample for inclusion in the DOJ’s Unidentified Persons Database.

“Regardless of the advancements we have made in law enforcement with our communities, there is still a lot of work to do in order to mend a generations-old barrier of distrust,” Sheriff Bianco said. “We must willingly open ourselves to our Indian communities to build trust and form alliances and friendships.”

Chairman Vivanco said, “Most surprising to me was that a lot of law enforcement officials in the more urban areas were unaware of this issue. It is going to continue to take an educational and collaborative effort to help combat the crisis.”

To participate in the California Department of Justice, Office of Native American Affairs’ anonymous Tribal community survey to share knowledge, experiences and policy recommendations, please visit survey.alchemer.com/s3/7210481/Cal-DOJ-AB-3099-Tribal-Community-Survey, call 916-210-6474 or email Research.Center@doj.ca.gov.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers followed through Wednesday on their threat to seek a criminal investigation of Amazon, asking the Justice Department to investigate whether the tech giant and senior executives obstructed Congress or violated other federal laws in testimony on its competition practices.

The House Judiciary Committee escalated the bipartisan battle against the world’s biggest online retailer with a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland referring the case for a criminal inquiry.

Amazon engaged in misleading conduct that appeared designed to “influence, obstruct or impede” the antitrust subcommittee’s 2019-20 investigation into the market dominance of Big Tech, the letter says.

As an example, it cited testimony by a senior Amazon official maintaining that the company doesn’t use the data it collects on third-party merchants on its platform to compete with them, and doesn’t list its own products in customer search results before those of third parties. Those assertions have been contradicted by credible news reports, the letter says.

News reports have detailed Amazon’s alleged practice of undercutting the businesses that sell on its platform by making “knock-offs,” or very similar products, and boosting their presence on the site.

“Amazon attempted to clean up the inaccurate testimony through ever-shifting explanations of its internal policies and denials of the investigative reports,” the lawmakers said. “The committee uncovered evidence from former Amazon employees, and former and current sellers, that corroborated the reports’ claims.”

“After Amazon was caught in a lie and repeated misrepresentations, it stonewalled the committee’s efforts to uncover the truth,” the letter says. It was signed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and the Democratic and Republican leaders of the antitrust subcommittee.

The Seattle-based company has previously denied that its executives misled the panel in their testimony.

In a statement Wednesday, Amazon said “there’s no factual basis” for the committee’s action, “as demonstrated in the huge volume of information we’ve provided over several years of good-faith cooperation with this investigation.”

Amazon’s third-party marketplace, with independent merchants listing millions of their products on the site, is a huge part of the company’s business. It has about 2 million sellers, and Amazon has said that more than half the goods sold on Amazon.com come from third-party sellers. It also makes money by charging third-party sellers fees, bringing in tens of billions in revenue.

In a May 2020 letter to Amazon founder and then-CEO Jeff Bezos, the antitrust subcommittee threatened a subpoena if Bezos didn’t agree voluntarily to appear before the panel.

The Wall Street Journal reported at that time that Amazon used sensitive, confidential information about sellers on its marketplace, their products and transactions to develop its own competing products. An Amazon executive denied such a practice in statements at a subcommittee hearing in July 2019, saying the company has a formal policy against it.

Amazon says it investigates any allegation of violations of its policies and takes appropriate action when warranted.

Bezos testified on the issue in an appearance at a July 2020 hearing on Big Tech’s alleged monopolistic practices, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Addressing allegations that Amazon has used data generated by independent sellers on its platform to compete against them, Bezos said it would be “unacceptable” if those claims were proven to be true.

Andy Jassy took over the top position from Bezos last July. Bezos became executive chairman.

Some independent merchants who sell products on Amazon.com have complained about the company’s practices, such as contract provisions said to prevent sellers from offering their products at lower prices or on better terms on any other online platform, including their own websites.

In its defense, Amazon has said that sellers set their own prices for the products they offer on its platform.

The District of Columbia sued Amazon last year in an antitrust action, accusing the company of anticompetitive practices in its treatment of sellers on its platform. The practices have raised prices for consumers and stifled innovation and choice in the online retail market, the lawsuit alleged.

The suit maintains that Amazon has fixed online retail prices through contract provisions that prevent merchants selling their products on Amazon.com from offering them at lower prices or on better terms on any other online platform, including their own websites. Amazon rejected the allegations.

Amazon has been one of the few retailers that has prospered during the COVID-19 outbreak. It reported profits of $33.36 billion in 2021, up from $21.33 billion the year before.

On Wednesday it announced its board had approved a 20-for-1 split of its stock, which closed the day at $2,785.58. The split would make buying a single share of Amazon stock more accessible to average investors.

The company’s board also approved a $10 billion stock buyback program.

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