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Katcho spends spring break in Cuba with powerful lobbyist

April 8, 2013

Katcho achadjianCentral Coast Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian traveled to Cuba during the legislature’s spring break with a California lobbyist who is heavily invested in the country. [CalWatchdog]

Achadjian joined Democratic State Senator Cathleen Galgiani on the trip to Cuba led by founder and president of the lobbying firm Platinum Advisors, Darius Anderson. Since the 1960s, the United States has had a trade embargo against Cuba, which prohibits American citizens from traveling to the country. Still, select Americans travel to Cuba each year with government approval.

A Capitol source described Achadjian’s Cuban voyage as a “super secret trip.” The source said the trip participants “shredded their itineraries when they landed.”

Achadjian’s office confirmed that the Republican assemblyman traveled with Anderson to Cuba and said that he paid his own way.

“He went on the annual trip to learn and study about Cuba,” said Craig Swaim, Achadjian’s chief of staff.

Galgiani’s chief of staff, Trent Hager, confirmed that Anderson organized the trip.

The Sacramento based lobbyist, whose firm payed $500,000 in 2010 to settle pay-to-play allegations, is the founder of a “humanitarian” mission called the Havana Project, which operates under the nonprofit Californians Building Bridges, for which Anderson sits on the board of directors. According to the Californians Building Bridges website, the Havana Project works with the Martin Luther King Center to “enhance sustainable community development operations” in Cuba and delivers basic services and supplies to those in need.

Anderson’s bio states that he has led more than 50 missions to Cuba over the last 10 years through Californians Building Bridges. However, the nonprofit’s website states that the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control granted it approval to travel to Cuba in 2011.

The same year, former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown wrote a column in the San Francisco chronicle describing a California Building Bridges trip he took to Cuba.

“The trip was put together by Darius Anderson, who turns out to be very big in Cuban investments,” Brown wrote. “So big, in fact, that the night he was missing from the group, he was dining with the president.”

CalWatchdog contacted the offices of every member of the state Senate to confirm where they spent the spring recess. Four offices would not confirm that their state senators did not participate in the trip to Cuba.

 


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At least he has some sort of a reason to go…I guess, but what I really want to know is who in the Administration approved Beyonce and Jay Z to vacation there since all trips must be 100% humanitarian or educational. I guess her lip synching for Obama helped her out.


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Anybody can go there and do. Booking thru Canada used to work. I know a couple of guys who go there for Hooch, Hookers and Blow, as MANY do. The place is infamous for that as is anywhere below TJ to the South Friggin’ pole I guess. It’s really just another corrupted by Poverty Latin country. It’s loaded with Anglo tourists. The Gov’t. is blowing hot air as usual.


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President Bill Clinton relaxed restrictive travel rules after taking office in the 1990s. They were re-established by President Bush, following his election and rolled-back again by President Obama. U.S. companies can arrange visas, but only for educational or cultural missions.


To travel the island without restrictions, U.S. visitors must book their trips through a third country, like Mexico or Canada. Those trips are still officially banned by U.S. law. The country is still also under a strict 50-year trade embargo.


source:


http://www.theimproper.com/58899/beyonce-jay-z-travel-cuba-u-s-lawmaker-protests/


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Mr. Achadjian is following the scent of money and power.


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Possibly. Since I do not believe he has established a corrupt reputation (yet?) I will extend the benefit of the doubt, and look forward to hearing him speak (in his own words) on this.


My general rule of thumb is: if they are a career bureaucrat or politician, assume corruption unless proven otherwise. As I recall, Katcho did not choose politics as his career up until recently, so some modicum of “doubt benefit” befits him at this point.


Time, and hopefully Katcho, will tell (us).


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QUOTING r0y: ” As I recall, Katcho did not choose politics as his career up until recently….”


Yeah, but Katcho is a VERY fast learner.


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“Katcho did not choose politics as his career up until recently,”. Really! He was County Supervisor from 1998-2010 (12 years) and an Assemblyman since 2010 to present (3 years). I think he is quote experienced in the political arena after 15 years, don’t you think? Plus, he has been on more committees, boards, and a member of so many organizations, etc. that I doubt there are few “connected” people he doesn’t know.


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Big investment is poised to remake Cuba as soon as, I don’t know, Fidel croaks? I’m sure Anderson is monitoring AND pestering Washington to lift the embargo so they can create another Vegas. That’s what Katcho is drooling over.

I think he has moneyed friends in and around his old country with whom he is connected. Middle Eastern? Gas, oil, money, power? Ahhh, gotta love the sociopathic mind of the modern pumping piles of proplasm called people.

I guess it’s time to ruin Cuba as was done to Florida. I lived in Florida in 1954, You bought stuff from the Seminoles roadside, fed gators theremtoo, on your own. Divers dragged Spanish arifacts onto the beach. Now it’s a built-up, overcrowded, environmentally ruined mess.

Guys like Anderson and Katcho make sure that continues.


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Lots of speculation there. You may be right about people being poised for big investments soon, but I am less confident in your analysis of who the players will be or their motives. BTW Katcho is Armenian which is not your typical “Middle Eastern” country. They are kind of an isolated outpost on the edge of the Middle East with a Christian population.


Their natural resources are modest at best so most wealth they have has come from business dealings — much by people of Armenian extraction in other countries. While Katcho is certainly a successful businessman and sympathetic to capitalist views, he hardly has a track record as an environmental rapist. I would have to see much better evidence than your speculation to believe that he is going to be going all in for a economic or environmental ripoff scheme.


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Ok, here it is.

And It’s all in your own statement. He IS a Middle Eastern fellow “on the the edge of…” as you said. And you related he was a capitalistic Armenian, of who are known as being international business men and of which he is already known by his presence here in SLO, Zzzzz, oh sorry, he’s going to an underdeveloped dianond in the rough area WITH A LOBBYIST trying to lift the embargo!!

Hello? Man, where’s the need for “Lots of speculation”.

Katcho is a cool international businessman from an ancient line of ’em, workin’ a bunch of wannabe intellectuals in a small California Cowtown, us.


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SLO TM…. He’s doing California for Katcho,,,, and Katcho only. The Sacramento lifestyle….. So sad !


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Katcho described his trip to several of us at a recent meeting so the storyline that it was a “super secret” trip does not hold water. Katcho also did not accept the use of a state vehicle nor does he accept gifts from lobbyists. Katcho is an honorable man who represents us very well.


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It’s not nearly as fun to provide an accurate report.


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He’s so honest that we threw away the agenda that was established for this trip. The trip was illegal, so how honest does that make him. He is associated with one of the largest lobbyist in California, what is honest about that (Mr. Anderson also does not have a nice ethical record, google it). Capital Alert broke the story before it was made public, again, very honest. Mr. Katcho is a business man, front and center, and will do anything to succeed in that category, Pictures tell the story!


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Katcho, personally, may not accept lobbyists gifts, but Katcho’s campaign does accept funds from Prime Advisors’ corporate and government clients, such as $11,000 already given to Katcho’s campaign from AT&T.


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A first hand viewing of what communist oppression has done for Cuba may help California politics turn away from that end result.


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Communists and socialists never wish to see any evidence against their theories, no matter how often the world offers them up.


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“Communist oppression”? You sound like an old Cold War talking point.


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Cuba? Really? This is so outrageous I am almost at a loss for words.


Katcho, you had nothing better to do? Did you know there are 300,000 constituents here whom you are supposed to be representing and helping with things like unemployment, taxes, environmental issues, workers comp, and especially problems with state agencies? We have so many problems in California and your response is to take a junket to CUBA??? I think you didn’t let it be known because it is so embarrassing! There are a lot of Cuban exiles who can tell you all about life before and after Castro. Maybe you should have just gone to Miami.


I want to see who paid the bills. Where are your receipts? Or are you going to pull a CAPSLO and not be able to find any records?


You are a total embarrassment to the people of the Cenral Coast. Go back to pumping gas.


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How about we let Katcho explain it before we start theorycrafting?


All we know is that he went on the trip to learn and study Cuba. I’d like him to elaborate on his reasonings, but CalWatch is hardly CCN, is it?


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An illegal trip!


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Katcho has had plenty of time to explain it. For instance, he could have been forthright about his trip BEFORE he went…or AFTER he returned.


If he waits until a big scandal has erupted, it is way too late for him to appear honest and forthright.


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Yes find out who pays. Then you can get excited.


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Make sure you get a definition of what “pays” means to Katcho. Many politicians use their campaign funds as a tax-exempt purse for questionable trips, like Katcho’s trip to Cuba.


How in the world could Katcho learning about Cuba have relevance to the many problems facing California? And couldn’t he find a more upstanding way to “educate” himself than making an illegal trip to Cuba?


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I hope he scored some havana cigars……we need to restore trade for that reason alone….not to mention the 1,000’s of autos from the 50’s that are just waiting to be restored


I would bet my last untaxed dime that Katcho paid about a dime for the trip.


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I like how you think on this, sir!


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I knew months ago Katcho was going and taking a friend. I heard from his friend that they DIDNT pay for the trip. Exactly what business was he doing for California?


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It was during the Easter…er, “Spring” break – so maybe he didn’t have to do California’s business? I don’t know, if elected, are people 100% ours? I do not want to make excuses for the man, but it could be he was just learning about Cuba… or preparing the way for new business (i.e. making contacts, schmoozing).


Also, while the lobbyist arranged it, “Achadjian’s office confirmed that the Republican assemblyman traveled with Anderson to Cuba and said that he paid his own way.”


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Again, it depends on what the definition of “pays” is.


Does that mean that Kacho paid for it out of his own personal piggy-bank, or does it mean he billed his campaign for it and wrote it off as an “educational” trip?


If that is the case, and since Kacho is a client of Prime Advisors, through which he has received hefty campaign contributions, including $11,000 from AT&T already, then it would not be accurate to say “Kacho paid for it.” However, a politician may well think he can use his campaign funding for “educational” trips.


I am interested in what he learned while he was there, and where he learned it.


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I don’t believe you. You sound like the same person who is always saying “Karen Velie told me….”

Who was his friend?


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