Duvall still giving out money

MAY 11, 2010

By ANTHONY PIGNATARO

For reasons he didn’t really want to discuss, former Assemblyman Michael D. Duvall of Yorba Linda still has about $72,000 in campaign money, according to the most recent reports on file with the California Secretary of State’s office. And he’s still spending it, too.

“Yeah, I’m dispersing those [funds],” Duvall said in a brief May 10 phone conversation.

Duvall, a Republican, has been out of office since September, when he resigned a mere 24 hours after the OC Weekly and KCBS/KCAL News simultaneously reported that he’d been videotaped in a committee hearing room back in July 2009 bragging in rather lurid terms to fellow Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona, about allegedly having sex with two mistresses, one of which was apparently an energy lobbyist – a potentially serious conflict of interest, considering that Duvall was then vice chairman of the Assembly’s Utilities & Commerce Committee.

The most recent campaign contribution Duvall’s still-active campaign committee (Duvall for Assembly 2010) made occurred on Feb. 19: a $2,000 check to the committee Taxpayers and Citizens for Michelle Orrock.

“That was a long time ago,” Duvall said. “She’s a Farmer’s insurance agent. I’m a Farmer’s agent. That’s what I’m doing these days.”

Orrock, who works as the communications director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses, did not return two phone calls asking for comment. Orrock’s campaign finance reports list a previous contribution from Duvall – $1,000, given on Oct. 17, 2008.

Though a relatively obscure local figure, Orrock’s resume details considerable community and political work. A Republican and insurance agent like Duvall, Orrock is a resident of Elk Grove. In 2008 she was elected to the Consumnes Community Services District Board of Directors. She’s also chaired the Elk Grove Charter Exploratory and Election Reform Committee. Orrock is also a past president and board member of CA Women LEAD, which encourages women to run for office. Though her term of office at the Consumnes CSD ends in 2012, Orrock – a member of the Sacramento Lincoln Club – is often mentioned as a possible Elk Grove City Council candidate.

City records don’t list her as a current candidate, but her Aug. 3, 2009 and Oct. 1, 2008 campaign finance reports, on file with the Sacramento County Registrar’s Office, list “Elk Grove City Council” in the space marked “Office Sought.” Her campaign’s most recent filings don’t include any 2010 contributions, and list her current cash on hand at a paltry $143.09, as well as more than $13,000 in outstanding loans to herself.

In June 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Orrock Director of Communications for the Department of Housing and Community Development. Before that she spent a year working as the deputy secretary for communications at the state Department of Education. She’s also a former field representative for Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Sacramento.

For his part, Duvall has kept a low profile since leaving office last September amidst a firestorm of controversy. Not long after resigning Duvall told reporters he just been engaged in “inappropriate storytelling” with Miller and had done nothing wrong or unethical. Attorney General Jerry Brown declined to investigate; after a two-month investigation, the FBI found “no prosecutive action” and dropped the matter.