Rod Wright doesn’t deserve this.
Yes, the state senator was convicted of lying about where he lived. But does that mean he should be haphazardly lumped into some kind of State Senate Gang of 3 with accused bribe takers and gun runners?
The media, by describing Wright as one of three lawbreakers are doing most of the wrong here. But Wright’s colleagues did him no favors when they suspended him along with Ron Calderon, accused of taking bribes, and Leland Yee, accused of a host of things, including weapons dealing, at the same time. Wright should have been left out of the suspensions.
It’s not clear to me that Wright’s crime is even a crime. Residency has always been a very loose requirement, and the requirement doesn’t exist for members of Congress. And the money that determines legislative and Congressional elections doesn’t have to come from inside the district – so why should the candidate?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wright’s conviction overturned on appeal. Even it holds, he didn’t violate the public trust – and he hasn’t been accused of anything remotely like the conduct that Calderon and Yee are accused of.
It’s time for us to knock that Big 3 down to a Big 2. If people want to talk about a culture of corruption in Sacramento, and call for ethics commission or other bureaucratic nonsense, go right ahead. But leave Rod Wright out of it.
Indeed, for associating him with Calderon and Yee, much of the state owes Rod Wright an apology.