Jim Righeimer

Scott Steiner's Sex Court

[Moxley Confidential] Orange County Superior Court judge Scott Steiner recused himself from corruption case after adultery exposed

Ex-Orange County Sheriff's Captain Loses Federal Retaliation Lawsuit

In Nov. 2010, an Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) captain filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Sheriff Sandra Hutchens plotted to lay her off in retaliation for speaking up against gross mismanagement in Homeland Security operations and about potential internal corruption involving a ... More >>

Sources: OC DA Investigating Costa Mesa Police Union for Possible Crimes in Jim Righeimer DUI Set-Up Last Year

Remember that weird-ass story last year involving Costa Mesa councilmember Jim Righeimer, a private dick who called 911 saying Riggy was DUI-ing after emerging from Skosh Monahan's, and Costa Mesa PD summarily forcing Riggy out of his house and giving him sobriety tests even though all he had to dri ... More >>

OC GOP's Apocalypse Now

The party's over for Republicans in Orange County and California

13 Questions For Orange County In 2013

13. Will local citizens be gullible enough to allow government officials to convert portions of the 405 freeway in Orange County into a privatized toll road under the laughable ruse of easing traffic congestion?12. Can criminal defense lawyers for ex-Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante, once ... More >>

The Five Best Wins for Democracy in Orange County Last Night

You're going to read a lot about our experiences last night tomorrow, when the dead-tree edition of this infernal rag appears. Today? A buncha lists breaking down what was a giant win for Democrats last night, but also conservative victories that ensure this county is slowly, truly becoming an egali ... More >>

[UPDATED with Stats, Reader Right About 'Minority' Location:] DUI Checkpoint in Costa Mesa Monday Night

See the update at the end of this post about a commenter to our original post being correct about the checkpoint location being in a minority neighborhood and stats from the police department.ORIGINAL POST, NOV. 5, 6:09 A.M.: Sobriety checkpoints: they're not just for weekends and holidays any more. ... More >>

OC's Scariest People 2012!

Child molesters, Shaheen Sadeghi, serial killers, Dana Rohrabacher and so many more!

OC Weekly 2012 Election Guide: Costa Mesa!

Unlike other city election guides that have graced the benevolent blog pages of Navel Gazing, this one will take on a different format. A brief mention of the proposed city charter, titled Measure V, will precede an outline of city council candidates. Current council members tried to bring the initi ... More >>

[UPDATED with Caller a Police Union Stooge?:] Jim Righeimer, Costa Mesa Councilman, Cop Critic and Pension Cutter, Alleges DUI "Set Up"

See Update No. 2 at the end of this post on media reports the false DUI caller is a Costa Mesa police union stooge.See Update No. 1 on a new Costa Mesa Police Department statement claiming the agency is super serious about investigating the false DUI report.ORIGINAL POST, AUG. 24, 2:25 P.M.: Costa M ... More >>

Barbara Venezia Saves Jim Righeimer

[Moxley Confidential] The Orange County Register smears OC Weekly for revealing bad news about a favored politician

Jim Righeimer Ordered to Pay Huge Legal Bill

​At the same time Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer poured more than $42,000 in personal funds into his 2010 political campaign to successfully fight police union attacks, the Republican real estate developer stiffed his own corporate lawyer out of nearly $195,000 in fees.That revelation is a ... More >>

Scott Walker to Visit Scott Baugh, Occupy to Attend

UPDATE DEC. 29, 7:30 P.M.: For those of you hoping Occupy activists at tonight's protest would have stormed the glass-encased offices of  Scott Baugh, kicked in the doors and found Wisconsin governor Scott Walker on his knees fellating the Orange County GOP Chairman while dollar bills rained fr ... More >>

Occupy OC Protesters Duped For Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's Orange County Event

​About 50 liberal Orange County activists protested a Republican event here tonight for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, but rallied at the wrong location.The error wasn't necessarily the activists' fault. The Walker event was scheduled for the private, Newport Beach offices of Orange County Republica ... More >>

Mark Bucher to Replace Chuck DeVore in Todd Spitzer Race

Mark Bucher ​In addition to Chuck DeVore dropping out of the race for Orange County supervisor, the Weekly has learned conservative activist Mark Bucher will challenge fellow Republican Todd Spitzer for the 2012 open seat.Bucher is a successful businessman, a prominent--even outspoken--Christian c ... More >>

[UPDATED with Odd Twist:] Steven Craig DePhillips, OC Homicide No. 41: Found Stabbed in Driveway of Residence Near Country Club

Jeffrey Alec Henderson​UPDATE, SEPT. 12, 8:39 A.M.: Costa Mesa Police investigators still are not releasing many details about a motive (or anything else) in the Aug. 30 stabbing death of 40-year-old Steven Craig DePhillips near Mesa Verde Country Club. However, it's been revealed that DePhillips ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

It's Gotten Costa Messy In Costa Mesa

Scenes from the civic dissolution of America's latest public-employee battleground

PBS SoCal Breaks Ground on Costa Mesa Studios Today

​PBS SoCal, which was formerly known as KOCE/Channel 50, is scheduled to break ground this morning on new studio headquarters on the first floor of the South Coast Corporate Center at 3080 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.Production studios, which are expected to be completed by the fall, will join PBS SoC ... More >>

Union Boss: Costa Mesa Budget Cuts Are "Premature, Illegal"

Don Drozd: attacks on public employees are misguided​A day after Costa Mesa councilman Jim Righeimer claimed during a television interview that he has public backing for slashing the city's budget and laying off employees, a union boss fired back on the same show this morning. According to Donald ... More >>

Jim Righeimer: Costa Mesa Government Cuts Backed By Residents

Righeimer defends cuts​During a live, three-minute interview on NBC's Today in L.A. Weekend, Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer asserted that he is getting public support to continue slashing his city's budget.Righeimer told Ted Chen during the interview that residents are telling him, "Keep o ... More >>

[UPDATED: Audit Report Criticized; Budget Passed] Costa Mesa Financial Situation "Better Than Average," According to OCEA-Funded Audit

​UPDATE, JUNE 22, 4:55 P.M.: "I think this whole list is a road to bankruptcy," said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer early Wednesday morning, responding to the report of the OCEA-funded budget audit. Just minutes after hearing a laundry list of potential alternatives to restructure the budget in ... More >>

Costa Mesa to Stop Announcing Sobriety Checkpoint Locations

​If you're going to be drinking and driving in or around Costa Mesa in the future, you may want to proceed with even further caution than was already necessary. The city will continue to announce when it will have sobriety checkpoints, but it will no longer announce the location.In the Daily Pilot ... More >>

[UPDATED: Police Chief Uncertain of Cocaine Involvement] City Employee Commits Suicide, Jumping Off Costa Mesa City Hall

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyHuy Pham, in a photo brought to a candlelight vigil for him​UPDATE, MAY 31, 8:16 A.M.: Costa Mesa's police chief, Steve Staveley isn't entirely convinced by the conclusions being made from the coroner reports that Huy Pham had cocaine in his system at the time of his ... More >>

[UPDATED: Mayor's Bar Vandalized; OCEA Comment] The Beat Goes On: Hundreds Turn Out to Voice Outrage Toward Costa Mesa City Council

Chasen Marshall/OC WeeklyMayor Gary Monahan​UPDATE, APRIL 18, 5:57 P.M.: After closing time on Saturday evening, someone sent a message to Costa Mesa's mayor, Gary Monahan at his place of business, Skosh Monahan's. The means of communication? A brick through the front window, with a note attached ... More >>

TV Commercial Targets Costa Mesa Mayor, Gary Monahan, Calling for Him to "Keep Walking"

OCEASt. Patty's Day: not one of Mayor Monahan's better moments.​Controversy goes a long way in stirring attention. Costa Mesa, the city that was once best known for being home to South Coast Plaza and the Orange County Fair, finds itself embroiled in a power struggle that has managed to grab natio ... More >>

[UPDATED: Union GM/Photographer Talks] City Employee Commits Suicide, Jumping Off Costa Mesa City Hall

Mayor Gary Monahan on St. Patty's Day. Was this photo a set-up?​UPDATE, MARCH 21, 5:45 P.M.: The Weekly was able to speak with Nick Berardino while he was in a taxi on his way to catch a flight home from Sacramento. He had a good laugh about Mayor Gary Monahan's accusations of a union setup, ... More >>

Jim Righeimer Has Earned the Hate of the Unions

[Moxley Confidential] The conservative Costa Mesa city councilman insists his pension-slashing plans are about pragmatism, not politics

Chris Shawkey, Costa Mesa Police Chief, Resigns Under Cloud of Corruption

​While Costa Mesa city workers still try to figure out how to beat back the job chops proposed by carpetbagging council member Jim Righeimer, at least there's now $200,000 that can go to save a couple of workers: Police Chief Chris Shawkey has resigned.Shawkey, of course, had been on paid administ ... More >>

Costa Mesa City Council Votes In Favor of Outsourcing One-Third of City Services

Click here to see the slideshow.​By the time the Costa Mesa City Council was finished with its farewells to its outgoing City Manager and City Attorney Tuesday evening, every seat in the council chambers was filled. More than 250 people had turned out for various items on the agenda, but the maj ... More >>

Costa Mesa Becomes Wisconsin Tonight

​Costa Mesa becomes Wisconsin this evening.No, "Goat Hill" is not getting a giant brewery, a Super Bowl-caliber football team or mountains of free Oshkosh jumpers in the Bloomies parking lot at South Coast Plaza.What the near-coastal town is getting is the same type of spat that pits Wisconsin sta ... More >>

Costa Mesa Kills "Luxury" Police Helicopter Program

"Eagle" clips a political wire​Led by freshman Republican city councilman Jim Righeimer, the Costa Mesa City Council late tonight voted to kill an expensive police helicopter program to help resolve a massive budget shortfall."We need to do this," Righeimer said before the 4-1 vote. "This program ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Election 2010: 4:20 Alert! Where's the Prop. 19 Party?

​UPDATED: With most current updates at the top. 10:30 p.m.: Okay, it's official. The Register is smoking some serious chronic. First they report that 60 percent of OC's conservative electorate wants to legalize weed. Now, the Reg is reporting that Republican senatorial candidate Carly Fiorina is p ... More >>

Costa Mesa Cops Respond to Intimidation Claim by Supporters of Council Candidate Righeimer

Jim Righeimer​On Saturday, Costa Mesa City Councilman Eric Bever held a news conference to level allegations that on-duty Costa Mesa Police Department officers were intimidating supporters of council candidate Jim Righeimer on the streets.Today, the department that includes personnel belonging to ... More >>

The Cannabis Candidate

Dispensary owner and Costa Mesa City Council aspirant Sue Lester is ready to 'raise my hand and do what I can for what I think is right'

Don Wagner Kicks Off Assembly Bid With a Little Help From His Far-Out, Far-Right Friends

Don Wagner, in charge.​Irvine's Don Wagner, the hard-core conservative president of the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, kicks off his bid for state Assembly this evening with the help from one of the other hard-core conservatives on the college board's dais, "Chai ... More >>

In-N-Out Wants 65-foot Billboard; Costa Mesa, Not So Much

According to the Daily Pilot, In-N-Out wants to put up a 65-foot freeway sign at the site of where Kaplan's Deli used to be; right off the Harbor exit from the 405.The Costa Mesa Planning Commission doesn't like that idea so much.  They denied In-N-Out's request.  Next, the burge ... More >>

Small World

As Clockwork sits in deliberations as an Orange County Superior Court alternate juror, speaking as this is being banged out is our foreman, Stephen Mensinger. When Mensinger is not being paid $15-a-day to fulfill his civic duty, he earns bukoo bucks to preside over Irvine-based developer SunCal's mu ... More >>

Who Is 'Jubal'?

Republican activists engage in right-wing circle jerk on the Net

Capitol Punishment

How Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped worrying and learned to love selling out to special interests

Where famous people eat!

Union Maid

Apathy is sooo 1990s

The Girl Who Peed Herself

And other tales of hilarity from election night

You Are Surrounded by Idjits, Mostly

Our cruel but insightful wrap-up of OC Elections

Gay-Baiting Brown

Did a smear campaign force Republican ''caveman'' out of key Assembly race?

Shag It, Baby

Yet another column about gay people, plus a really vicious fight

Hot for Teacher

Defending the enemy du jour-so you don't have to!