#  LAUSD Prez Ref Rodriguez Charged with Money Laundering … Here’s the Complete Story

     Details    Mike Szymanski   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         September 18 2017      [  ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Sept-2017/075o.png)    ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/14024-lausd-prez-ref-rodriguez-charged-with-money-laundering-here-s-the-complete-story)

  [LOS ANGELES](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles)   - [  Previous Article **How to Deal with an Age of Disasters …California has Some Lessons to Teach** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14026:how-to-deal-with-an-age-of-disasters-california-has-some-lessons-to-teach&catid=312)
- [  Next Article **Los Angeles: De-Densify or Die** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14023:los-angeles-de-densify-or-die&catid=312)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
>  [Comments](#disqus_thread)

>
>
>
> LA SCHOOL REPORT--The day after a seemingly uneventful and smooth-running[ school board meeting ](http://www.laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/09-12-17RegBdOBSTAMPED.pdf)that newly elected LA Unified School Board President Ref Rodriguez proudly ended at an earlier-than-usual 5 p.m., the district seemed to be shaken to its core.

 On Wednesday, Rodriguez was [charged with three felony counts](http://laschoolreport.com/just-in-school-board-president-ref-rodriguez-charged-with-felony-campaign-violations/) involving campaign contributions to his 2015 election bid. Rodriguez’s cousin was also charged with one felony.

Immediately, questions erupted. Does he have to step down? What’s going to happen to the school board? What about the “Kids First” agenda?

One major thing the district is trying to emphasize is that no one has been convicted of anything yet, and that people are innocent until proven guilty. The district and school board members have issued statements showing how they are trying to keep business going as usual.

Here are a few of the early answers that we know about the case, and we will provide more information as we can.

1. **What are the charges against him?**

Ref (whose full name is Refugio) Rodriguez, 46, was charged officially with “conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument” relating to his election campaign in 2015. He, and his cousin, Elizabeth Tinajero Melendrez who worked on his campaign, were also charged with 25 counts of “assumed name contribution.” Read the [full complaint here](http://laschoolreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BA460879_Complaint.pdf).

There are limits to how much money someone can contribute to a campaign, and going around it can be considered a form of money laundering, according to investigators. “Assumed name contributions” happens when a person asks someone else to make a contribution to a campaign and supplies the money to pay for it. Such contributions create the appearance of broader support for the candidate while allowing him or her skirt some campaign rules.

Rodriguez is accused of reimbursing nearly $25,000 to people — mostly family and friends — who donated to his campaign. When Rodriguez signed off on his list of donors filed with the[ LA Ethics Commission](http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/pressrelease/press_20170913_Accusation_Rodriguez&Melendrez.pdf), prosecutors say he committed perjury because Rodriguez allegedly knew that some of the donors listed on the form were reimbursed and did not contribute their own money. The LA Ethics Commission called it a political money laundering scheme. *[(Read the rest.](http://laschoolreport.com/instant-expert-the-10-things-to-know-about-the-charges-against-board-president-ref-rodriguez/))*

-cw

  - [  Previous Article **How to Deal with an Age of Disasters …California has Some Lessons to Teach** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14026:how-to-deal-with-an-age-of-disasters-california-has-some-lessons-to-teach&catid=312)
- [  Next Article **Los Angeles: De-Densify or Die** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14023:los-angeles-de-densify-or-die&catid=312)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>