COUNTYWIDE : State Won’t Enter Poll Guard Inquiry

The state attorney general’s office said Thursday that it will not intervene in the criminal investigation surrounding the Republican Party’s placement of security guards at several Santa Ana polling places during last year’s election.

Responding to complaints from the county’s Democratic Party, state prosecutors said they reviewed the investigation being conducted by the county district attorney and the U.S. attorney and found it to be “active.”

“It would be inappropriate for us to interfere,” said Richard Iglehart, chief assistant attorney general.

County Democrats, who charged that the guards were intended to intimidate Latino voters in last year’s 72nd Assembly District race, requested the attorney general’s involvement last week, charging that the district attorney’s office was stalling the investigation to protect the Republican Party.

Democrats also said they were concerned because the statute of limitations for some misdemeanor charges expired on Nov. 8, the one-year anniversary of the incident.

Iglehart said Thursday, however, that it appears the charges being investigated are felonies that would carry a five-year statute of limitations. Inglehart said that at the request of Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp, a Democrat, he talked to both the U.S. attorney’s office and the county district attorney’s office.

“It’s clear to me this is a case which is under active investigation locally both by the D.A.’s office and by the U.S. attorney’s office,” he said. “I think there have been times in which they have felt the case was about to be concluded and it was extended because of new evidence.

“I think it sounds to me like it’s a kind of a case that is reaching conclusion reasonably soon,” he said.

Iglehart also said that he had asked both offices to keep him informed of any developments, and that he would continue to monitor the investigation.

Rueben Martinez, treasurer of the county Democratic Party and a sponsor of the news conference last week, said he was happy to hear that the attorney general’s office was satisfied with the investigation, even if it was not going to become involved.

“We felt we were neglected,” he said. “The district attorney wasn’t showing any interest. If the attorney general feels that way, fine. That makes me feel good.”

Republican Curt Pringle of Garden Grove narrowly won the 72nd Assembly seat in the race that was marked by the hiring of the poll guards. Republican officials said they hired 20 guards for 20 polling places because they had heard that Democrats might bus in illegal voters to tip the election in their favor.