Los Angeles Officials Not Interested In Investigating Baudler

[Jim Finnel]

It's unlikely that Los Angeles city officials will pursue charges against an Iowa state representative who admitted he lied about having hemorrhoids and depression to obtain a medical marijuana prescription in California, a city councilman said Friday.

"I'd rather spend our city resources on parks and libraries than investigating some state assembly member that comes from somewhere else trying to make his own political point," said Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl. "It's not worth the energy on my part."

Asha Greenberg, an assistant city attorney for Los Angeles, said the city hasn't gone after people who have allegedly lied to obtain marijuana prescriptions largely because law enforcement authorities are focusing their resources on more serious crime.

"We have to have, for any crime, evidence apart from a person's admission," Greenberg said. "I would say that he probably would not face any consequences, at least as far as the city attorney's office is concerned, based upon his admission."

Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, detailed his ruse in an October newsletter to constituents, undertaken to show "how asinine it would be to legalize medical marijuana."

At a Statehouse meeting Wednesday, several medical marijuana supporters called for Baudler's impeachment, saying it's a crime under California law to fraudulently misrepresent a medical condition to a doctor. Conviction for a first offense could carry a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

Baudler said he's confident that ethics charges expected to be filed Monday by members of the Iowa Clemency Project won't stick, partly because he doesn't believe the person he saw was a real doctor. He said he did not fill the prescription.

He told The Des Moines Register he may try to obtain another prescription "if I can think of something stupider than hemorrhoids" to use as an excuse.

"Everyone in here should go to a state that has medical marijuana and see the effects of what's going on," Baudler said of his peers at the Capitol. "When the Mexican drug cartel is taking over California's drug distribution centers, it's asinine. It's the stupidest thing that Iowans could even be thinking about. Going to medical marijuana is just the first step to go to legalizing marijuana for recreational use."

Baudler, 71, and his story of fake hemorrhoids have become a hot topic on news, blog and Internet sites.

An online video surfaced this week of a man questioning Baudler about his actions. Baudler said it was one of at least two calls he has recently received that he described as harassing. But he also said the vast majority of responses have supported his actions.

Members of the Iowa Clemency Project, a group fighting to decriminalize marijuana possession, on Friday provided the Register with an Internet link showing Baudler's marijuana patient verification posted online by the Inglewood Health Services Center in California.

The prescription was written by Dr. Sriram Mummaneni, according to the online document. An online biography of Mummaneni says he studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Michigan. A call made to the office where Baudler said he obtained the prescription was not returned Friday.

"I've heard comments from people who say this is not that big of an issue, but it is," said Mike Pesce, a Des Moines resident and Iowa Clemency Project member who plans to file the ethics complaint on Monday. "It's pretty simple that you can't have lawmakers sitting at the Capitol planning crime."


NewsHawk: Jim Behr: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: DesMoinesRegister.com
Author: JASON CLAYWORTH
Copyright: 2011 DesMoinesRegister.com
Contact: Contacting the Register
Website: Los Angeles officials not interested in investigating Baudler

 

[Propa Gator]

Will the hemorrhoid from Iowa please fill his "prescription"?
He definately needs some strong medicine.

 

[Jacob Bell]

This is another fine example of our corrupt politicians in this country. This man should be in jail or impeached at the least. He knowingly broke the damn law. And then bragged about it!!!
And the "law" wants me to respect it and do it's bidding? Why? The politicians that make these laws don't, so why should I?

 

[Jacob Bell]

I could not help myself. I had to email this politician directly. Here is my transcript, and I encourage every person who sees this article to do the same. It doesn't matter if you live in that state or not, email him, politely, and give him your 2 cents worth on his despicable actions. Maybe it will help, maybe not, but it's better than doing nothing, right?

Dear Sir,

I feel compelled to write to you concerning your action of going to CA. to fraudulently obtain legal medical marijuana.

First off, you are an elected official. That means you are not only responsible for helping to make good laws in your State, but also upholding the law. Obviously, you have failed at upholding the law, and as such, are not fit to be in your office. You broke the law, Sir, and somehow, are getting away with it. I don't know how.

Second, you state that you "hate all illegal drugs". Well that fine and dandy, good even, except for one tiny little problem: In the State of CA. medical cannabis is LEGAL. Get it? It's legal. Not illegal. So if it's legal, why do you hate it so much? Cannabis has many medicinal qualities. It is meant to be eaten as medicine, not smoked. I believe the Creator of this great Planet we live on made every plant, tree, animal etc. for a reason. I don't know the reason for all of them, but why would a Creator make something that had no benefit? I bet you fancy yourself a religious man, right? Your "morals" told you to go to CA. and show them dope heads they were morally wrong, right? What makes you an expert on what is morally right and wrong when you can't even obey the law? You broke it, and then bragged about it, and right then and there, Sir, you lost any credibility you might have had regarding what is morally right and wrong.

Thirdly, your "report" shows you to be a very biased man. Discriminating even. So what if one of the people you met had tattoos and piercings? You, Sir, are a Racist, a Bigot, and are not fit to be in office.

I hereby Demand your resignation from office. You are unfit to make any law, or to write any Bills concerning laws in your State. You are no better than a common criminal, Sir. You break the law, and then brag about it, like it's something great. It's not! It's disgusting, it's morally wrong, and it puts politicians in a bad light, just like someone who says they are a Christian and then has affairs and steals and cheats. It makes God look bad. You, Sir, with your arrogance and bigotry and breaking of the law, have made your fellow politicians look bad.

Very Respectfully,
Appalled at Your Actions.