• Elton Gallegly,  Michael Tenenbaum

    Michael Tenebaum Watch: Panel Confirms Election

    September 2, 2008 /
    Tenenbaumandlesliecornejo

    GOP Attorney Michael Tenenbaum with former Chairwoman, Leslie Cornejo of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee

    GOP Attorney and twice defeated California 24th Congressional District candidate Michael Tenenbaum has been confirmed as eligible to represent District 6 on the State Bar Board of Governors, seven weeks after winning election.

    While the ballots in that election were canvassed July 10, certification of the results was delayed because of what officials said were questions about where the winner actually practiced law.

    Only 19 percent of the district’s attorneys participated in the balloting. Redlands attorney Bryan Hartnell, who was supported by all the major bar associations in the district, lost by 118 votes, while Riverside attorney A. Benjamin Aames came in third.

    District 6 encompasses the Inland Empire counties of San Bernardino and Riverside, as well as the coastal counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.State Bar rules require that a governor’s principal place of practice be located within the district that governor represents. When questions were raised about Tenenbaum’s law practice address – which is a mail receiving service – the State Bar launched an investigation.

    Tenenbaum has maintained that he practices from his Thousand Oaks home, and a committee appointed at the direction of the Bar of Governors has now accepted that assertion.

    As Flap said before, if Tenenbaum could substantiate that he worked at home, despite his mailing address being a “The Mail Shop” he was good to go. And, he has.

    Michael Tenenbaum will assume his seat on the California State Bar’s Board of Governors on September 27th.

    Update:

    Incoming State Bar President Holly Fujie welcomed Tenenbaum to the board in a press statement issued Friday.

    “I am looking forward to a substantive and hardworking year with this board,” she said, “and Mr. Tenenbaum will make an important contribution to this on behalf of his District Six constituents.”

    The State Bar’s decision came one day after Tenenbaum had filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asking that his election be certified. In his own press statement, Tenenbaum said he would now dismiss the suit.

    He also noted that the seven weeks it took the State Bar to certify him was longer than it took the Palm Beach, Fla., canvassing board, the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court to certify George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 presidential election.

    “That’s unfortunate not only for the lawyers in this state whose dues were wasted on an unnecessary bureaucratic process,” he said, “but also for the citizens of California who expect the Bar to use its resources more judiciously.”


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    Michael Tenenbaum Watch: The California State Bar Flap Part 2

    Michael Tenenbaum Watch: The California State Bar Flap

    Representative Elton Gallegly Breezes to Easy Victory in CA-24 GOP Primary Race

    Michael Tenenbaum to Challenge GOP Congressman Elton Gallegly in GOP Primary Election

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  • Elton Gallegly,  Michael Tenenbaum

    Michael Tenenbaum Watch: The California State Bar Flap Part 2

    July 16, 2008 /
    Tenenbaumandlesliecornejo

    GOP Attorney Michael Tenenbaum with former Chairwoman, Leslie Cornejo of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee

    Flap wrote yesterday that GOP attorney and twice defeated California 24th Congressional District candidate Michael Tenenbaum is being investigated by the California State Bar after his election to its Board of Governors.

    Now, Flap has obtained additional information that may shed some light on the FLAP.

    The State Bar Board of Governors Friday authorized President Jeffrey Bleich to appoint a committee to inquire and to report back to the board as to whether Michael Tenenbaum, the newly elected board member from District 6, is eligible to serve.

    The committee, which is to consist of one current and two former board members, will look into allegations—by persons who have not been publicly identified—that Tenenbaum’s principal office is not located in the district, as required by the State Bar Act.

    The non-contiguous District 6 consists of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Tenenbaum, who defeated Redlands attorney Bryan C. Hartnell by a little over 100 votes, with Riverside lawyer A. Benjamin Aames a distant third.

    Tenenbaum told the MetNews Friday that his office is in his home, in Thousand Oaks in Ventura County.

    Hartnell and Aames both said they heard reports during the campaign that Tenenbaum actually practiced from an office outside the district, but that they did not investigate and were in no way involved in instigating Friday’s action by the board.

    The board directed that none of the members of the committee that will look into the matter come from District 6 or from District 7, which is Los Angeles County. Tenenbaum is a member of the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, a State Bar spokesperson said.

    Hartnell and Aames both said it was unclear what the board would do if it determines Tenenbaum is ineligible. Aames said he hoped that it would order a new election between Hartnell and himself, but said it was also possible that Hartnell, as the second-place finisher, would be declared the winner.

    Hartnell declined to speculate as to what action the board might take.

    tenenbaumstatebar2

    If Michael Tenenbaum is indeed practicing law from his home and uses The Mail Stop as a business address, separate from his home, then Tenenbaum appears to be good to go – assuming his seat on the California State Bar’s Board of Governors.

    temenbaummailstop

    But, if it is discovered that he is ACTUALLY practicing law at an office outside the area, then he MIGHT be in some jeopardy.

    Tenenbaum apparently used his Mail Stop Address as his Congressional Campaign Committe address as well.

    Michael Tenenbaum for Congress’s Federal Election candidate information is found here.

    Tenenbaum’s campaign contributions detail and an itemization of individual contributions are here.

    Stay tuned…….

    Previous:

    Michael Tenenbaum Watch: The California State Bar Flap

    Representative Elton Gallegly Breezes to Easy Victory in CA-24 GOP Primary Race

    Michael Tenenbaum to Challenge GOP Congressman Elton Gallegly in GOP Primary Election

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