California Senate leader wants to strip Ronald Calderon of committee posts

Following Al Jazeera America's exclusive report on Oct. 30 revealing that California state Sen. Ronald Calderon (D-Montebello) is the subject of a federal investigation for having solicited bribes, California's Democratic majority leader asked the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday to strip Calderon of all his committee assignments pending the outcome of the investigation. 

In a statement released Wednesday, state Senate president pro tempore Darrell Steinberg accused Calderon of breaching the public trust: "The allegation that an elected official accepted money and other favors in exchange for official acts is perhaps the most serious breach of the public trust and the institution in which they serve."

"I do not make this request lightly, nor do I judge the truth of the publicly reported allegations," the statement read. "I am concerned, however, about keeping Senator Calderon in his positions. The allegations, though yet unproven, are serious enough to cloud any interactions the senator might have with colleagues, advocates and the public on issues within his jurisdiction."

Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit last week published a court affidavit filed by the FBI that laid out the government's case against Calderon in order to obtain a search warrant authorizing a raid of his office. 

The document revealed that the FBI was investigating him for having accepted more than $60,000 in bribes from an undercover agent posing as a film executive seeking legislation that would favor his business. 

Following the report, Steinberg removed Calderon from the California Film Commission.

The Rules Committee will consider Steinberg's request at a meeting next Tuesday.

The Senate leader also asked the panel to eliminate the Senate Select Committee on California's Film and Television Industries, chaired by Calderon.

Calderon also chairs the Senate Insurance Committee and sits on four other committees.