Allegation of affair led to recusal of prosecutors
By Associated Press | ∞
SANTA ANA ---- Federal officials recused some 250 prosecutors from handling the corruption case against former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona because of an allegation that he had an affair with a former U.S. attorney, lawyers said.
The U.S. attorney's offices in Los Angeles and Santa Ana were disqualified from the case last year to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, even though the allegation involving Debra W. Yang was investigated and found to be false, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Julian said Thursday during a court proceeding.
Yang was U.S. attorney in Los Angeles from 2002 to 2006. She told the Los Angeles Daily Journal the allegation was untrue.
"I had no personal relationship with Mr. Carona of any kind," she said Thursday.
Julian and fellow prosecutor Brett Sagel were allowed to pursue the case. They report to the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., rather than supervisors at their Santa Ana office.
Carona, 53, left the Sheriff's Department in January after he was indicted on federal charges of public corruption, witness tampering and fraud in a case that also named his wife and an alleged mistress.
An attorney for the alleged mistress brought up the accusation involving Yang on Thursday while asking the court to recuse the two local prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford did not immediately rule on the request.
Joseph Cavallo and former Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo, two associates of Carona, are expected to testify for the prosecution when the trial begins in October.
The prosecutors were recused after Cavallo told government investigators that he heard of Carona's alleged relationship with Yang from Jaramillo.
In a statement Thursday, Carona's attorney, Brian A. Sun, called the allegation a fabrication.
"We have consistently maintained that some of the government's key witnesses are wholly lacking in credibility," Sun said.
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