Brown under fire
Felonies, extensive domestic violence issues could 'create a firestorm'
In a city already rife with controversy and negative national scrutiny, this week’s detailed revelation of Vallejo CIty Councilmember Hakeem Brown’s criminal past “is going to create a firestorm,” said Mayor Bob Sampayan.
Open Vallejo’s Geoffrey King obtained court documents of domestic violence accusations or related crimes in at least nine different incidents — including five cases that resulted in criminal charges — of which Brown was convicted in three. Brown was also accused of striking his pregnant partners on at least two occasions. After one incident, for which he was convicted of felony domestic violence, the woman lost the child.
Also, according to the Open Vallejo article, at least five women have accused Brown of physical violence over the past two decades. He has faced more than
a dozen charges involving domestic violence, and was convicted of at least three, two of them felonies. Brown spent more than four years in prison for assaulting his then-pregnant wife.
“This is very disturbing,” Sampayan said Wednesday.
Sampayan added that no candidate for public office in Vallejo is subject to a background check or drug test.
Brown referred media inquiries to his “Letter to the Community” posted on his Facebook page Monday, beginning with “This weekend it came to my attention that a political group supporting one of my campaign opponents was preparing to undertake a smear campaign against me based on lies, distortions and mistruths. My attorney and I have taken decisive action to warn Open Vallejo that untruthful attacks on my character will result in legal action based on slander and libel.”
In the letter, Brown acknowledged his “troubled youth” that included arrests for drugs and possession of a firearm. Apparently referring to the domestic violence arrests, Brown called the incident(s) a “scuffle” with a domestic partner.
Sampayan said “scuffle with a domestic partner” minimized “what he had done. I knew he had a narcotics history, but I didn’t know it was violent acts against women. He never told to me. Again, it’s very disturbing.”
Sampayan recounted his own exchanges with Brown during council meetings.
“He’s had difficult times controlling his anger,” said Sampayan, confirming that background checks aren’t required of council members.
“I don’t know what the legal ramifications on that would be,” Sampayan said.
Sampayan said he received “several emails this morning asking that Brown resign from the city council; that he step down from any kind of public office, boards and commissions and that he discontinue his campaign for mayor.”
Brown has referred media calls to his Facebook letter and hasn’t commented on his future in city government. He didn’t return messages left by phone and text from the Times-Herald on Wednesday.
Sampayan said it Brown declines to resign, “He will remain on the council unless he is recalled.”
The Open Vallejo revelations adds to Vallejo’s notoriety — including ongoing investigation in alleged police officer improprieties and officer-involved shootings.
“Unfortunately, this has created lot of controversy where we have controversy already,” the mayor said.
Councilmember Robert McConnell, running against Brown for mayor, issued a statement to the
Times-Herald:
“The one person who can best make that decision of whether to resign and/or withdraw is the individual person only,” McConnell said. “That individual will still be on the ballot. It is why as a democracy we have elections where all the people have the right to express an opinion. Let’s respect the process.”
Councilmember Pippin Dew, who endorsed Brown for mayor, said she “condemns violence against anybody, obviously,” but added that it’s improper to “judge people by allegations” and that she hoped “the truth will come out.”
Dew said that Brown called her and “gave me a head’s up” on the Open Vallejo story, that “most of what they’re saying is untrue.”
“I would hope that he would be transparent about his past,” Dew added. “If these (allegations) are truly all in the past and he’s done his time and has been reformed, he should be up front about that. Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide whether you judge a person based on past actions.”
Dew said she read the Open Vallejo article and “the man described is super scary — I don’t know that man. In the last three years (on council), I’ve seen him (Brown) do nothing but
good work and reach into the community and reach into the youth and into the families and try to lift people up and bring about change. I respect that. That doesn’t go away because there’s this article. I don’t agree on attacking people without looking at the whole picture — where they are, what they’ve been and how they got there.”
Councilmembers Rozzana Verder-Aliga, Katy Miessner and Hermie Sunga did not return either emails or texts Wednesday.
Brown has contributed to the Solano County Gun Buy-Back effort by The Robby Poblete Foundation. Founder Pati Navalta said Wednesday afternoon that “like many people who read the story, I found it troubling and was deeply saddened. Our foundation, which Mr. Brown has supported, is built on the premise of anti-violence — but it was also built on providing opportunities for secondchancers. I think this is a crucial time for deep introspection as we choose who we want as our leaders.”
ValPAC ( political action committee) endorsed Brown and will likely have a statement following its Thursday meeting, said James Cooper, president and CEO of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce.
Jon Riley, executive director of the Napa Solano Central Labor Council that endorsed Brown for mayor, said that the organization had no comment “at this time.”
Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 2410, effective Jan. 1, 2013 that “a person shall not be considered a candidate for, and is not eligible to be elected to, any state or local elective office if the person has been convicted of a felony,” but the convicted crimes must pertain to “accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes. running for public office.”
“If these (allegations) are truly all in the past and he’s done his time and has been reformed, he should be up front about that. Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide whether you judge a person based on past actions.”
— Councilmember Pippin Dew