Breaking News: Former City Attorney, Robert Tafoya, Admits to Bribing California State Senator, Susan Rubio, to Promote Her Senate Election.

According to a plea agreement with the Department of Justice entered into with Robert Tafoya, former City Attorney of Baldwin Park, Tafoya bribed California State Senator, Susan Rubio with approximately $230,000 in money received from marijuana kickbacks. The Legal Lens has identified that Person 20, which the plea agreement describes as, "public official", as Rubio. In this agreement, Tafoya admitted that he was the architect of a complex marijuana scheme, in which people would pay Baldwin Park City public officials to vote for their licenses, if they provided $240,000 to him and other city officials, like former Council Member, Ricardo Pacheco.

According to it, "In or around 2017 or 2018," Susan Rubio, "approached defendant and asked him to solicit a bribe payment from company seeking a marijuana permit in the City using the same intermediary scheme utilized by Pacheco."

Tafoya then selected a close friend or relative to launder the money for him; with the purpose of Susan Rubio receiving $200,000, while $40,000 would be kept by the money launderer, who used the title, "consultant".

When the marijuana operator started backing down from the deal, Rubio and Tafoya met with him or her to reassure them that a permit would be received for the price of $240,000. Tafoya became concerned that the marijuana operator might report the two of them to law enforcement. So, he threatened that if they didn't pay, the deal was off.

Rubio started running for State elected office from 2017 to the end of 2018. "To raise campaign funds, [Rubio] asked [Tafoya] on two occasions to provide [her] $15,000 in cash that [Rubio] could then funnel to other individuals to make conduit contributions to [her] campaign. [Rubio] wanted these small donations to demonstrate to other donors [her] broad support amongst the community. 

"[Tafoya] agreed on both occasions to provide the cash because he believed [Rubio] could remove defendant as [Baldwin Park] City Attorney and understood that [Rubio] would provide [Tafoya] additional work if [she] were elected to State office.

"In or around October 2017, while in the primary for [Rubio's] election, [Rubio] first asked defendant for $15,000 in cash. [Tafoya] agreed to provide it and then withdrew $15,000 from the Tafoya & Garcia, LLP account at Wells Fargo in four transactions between October 25, 2017 and October 26, 2017. Defendant then met with [Rubio] and provided [her] the $15,000 in cash in an envelope.

"After [Rubio] won [her] primary in June 2018, [Rubio] once more solicited $15,000 in cash from defendant in order to further engage in the conduit contribution scheme described above. 

"[Tafoya] agreed but, before providing the money, wanted assurances from [Rubio] that [she] would take care of [him], protect [Tafoya's] job as the City Attorney, and assist defendant financially or professionally in [her] official capacity if [she] obtained State elected office.

"[Rubio] agreed, and [Tafoya] withdrew $15,000 in cash, which he provided to [Rubio]".

The DOJ has unsealed Tafoya's plea agreement, in which he pled guilty to bribery and tax evasion, owing the IRS $675,000, accruing since 2007. Rubio was a former member of Baldwin Park and allegedly and originally from the City of Bell.

Activists, employees, business owners, citizens, attorney, and the Department of Justice have been tirelessly exposing the rampant, open, and brazen corruption of Baldwin Park's officials and administrators. Greg S. Tuttle, small business owner in Baldwin Park, first blew the whistle in 2007, when former Mayor Manuel Lozano, Council Member Monica Garcia, and Council Member Ricardo Pacheco tried to steal his business by eminent domain. More to be exposed.

Mugshot of Robert Tafoya,
Looking like he's high on drugs.

Alleged mugshot of Susan Rubio