Ex Chair of Democrats Club Files Formal Complaint

Former chair of Democrats of the Desert files formal complaint for violation of Riverside County Democratic Party Code of Conduct

RANCHO MIRAGE — Stephen R. Jaffe, former chair of Democrats of the Desert, one of the Coachella Valley’s largest Democratic clubs, has filed a formal complaint against Priscilla Richardson and possible others for multiple violations of the Riverside County Democratic Party Code of Conduct.

The complaint, filed with the Riverside County Democratic Party leadership, Chair Joy Silver and Vice Chair Agi Kessler, alleges Richardson, a member and former chair of Democrats of the Desert, is based on a blistering email Richardson sent Jaffe, former chair of Democrats of the Desert, at 11:50 p.m. on Feb. 26.

You may read his formal complaint and his responses by clicking on this link.

“Okay Stephen,
I’ve had it with you and will say my piece, then you are out of DOD for good and good riddance.

First – your “Attorney at Law” moniker on all your communications is stupid, arrogant, and just a joke to me as I have been surrounded by multiple attorneys in my family as well as having a total social circle of attorneys.  Come on – this is a totally pathetic little addition to your signature and means nothing.

My background is as a Debater on winning teams in high school and college, a Congressional Staffer in DC and Seattle, a holder of a Master’s in Public Administration. At the Washington state SPI, I was the 20 year Director of Consolidated Federal Programs (accountable for $400 million annually) and more.  You have continually insulted those of us who spent happy years building DOD,.  the powerhouse Democratic club of the desert.  We were so good that Congressman Ruiz appointed me to be the Elector to represent our district in Sacramento at the Electoral College in 2016/17 in Sacramento. 

Last fall on a zoom meeting where Will Rollins took his precious campaign time to do a zoom meeting for DOD there were only twelve people at the meeting – what at waste of time for him!  I and others made suggestions to you about previously successful strategies/programs to encourage meeting participation from our members. You rejected all recommendations – choosing not to do member outreach. 

At the endorsement meeting there were multiple problems.  First was that the endorsements were too late to matter, and I don’t know why we were so late, but we were.  There were several other issues where both the DOD by-laws and RCDP guidance was violated ( endorsing a non-Democrat when the county had already endorsed a Democrat ) This was an example of you not knowing/understanding/respecting the endorsement rules of the RCDP.

At the February 25 meeting of DOD you violated at least three of the by-laws of DOD which you pretended to represent.

Please review Section 8.2 about nomination of candidates. As I read it, Michael Finland’s nomination as a candidate is not valid, as it was not accompanied by written or verifiable oral confirmation that he will serve – frankly, from my standpoint – I like Michael and appreciate his dedication – but you, Stephen, need to know that you undercut your preferred people when you don’t understand/follow/respect the DOD by-laws. If we get serious about the by-laws you ignored Michael could not have been on the ballot due to your negligence

Next violation.  Please review the by-laws, but my reading indicates that the only nominations must be made by the January meeting, with conditions (sec. 8.2).  You allowed a floor nomination that was entirely outside the by-laws of DOD!  So again, you failed to do your duty as an officer of DOD,

So, the most nefarious Republican operative could not have done much more to destroy this vibrant group of Democrats than you have done.”

Jaffe claims the foregoing Richardson email violates the Code in multiple respects for a couple of reasons.

1. It makes several false statements of fact, (lies} which are identified below.
2. The words and tone of the Richardson email violate the Code which expressly prohibits “slurs, jokes, insults, epithets, gestures, or teasing” in any format, including, specifically, “RCDP-related calls, texts, emails, and social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.”
3. Richardson states: “Last fall on a zoom meeting where Will Rollins took his precious campaign time to do a zoom meeting for DOD there were only twelve people at the meeting – what at waste of time for him!”
4. Richardson states: “At the February 25 meeting of DOD you violated at least three of the by-laws of DOD which you pretended to represent.
5. Richardson states: “So, the most nefarious Republican operative could not have done much more to destroy this vibrant group of Democrats than you have done.

“I am a fully paid member of the DOD,” Jaffe said. “Despite what she may believe, Richardson has no power or authority to expel me from the Club,” Jaffee states.

Moreover, Jaffe said he never used his professional email address or identified himself as an attorney in connection with the conduct of any business of the DOD.

“Richardson’s statement is a lie, a pure fiction taken out of the thin air,” Jaffe writes in the complaint.  “Further, her insults against me and my honorable profession (“stupid, arrogant, and just a joke …  is a totally pathetic little addition to your signature and means nothing.”) are transparent violations of the Code’s prohibition against “slurs, jokes, insults and “teasing.”

In the formal complaint, Jaffe addresses each lie, to use his words.

“Further, there was never a membership meeting attended by only 12 people,” Jaffe said. “That is another pure fiction (lie).  Finally, no matter how many people may have attended any particular member Zoom meeting, it was my duty to present important Democratic candidates to DOD members, which I faithfully and in good faith always did.”

Since Richardson and my other detractors wish to rely on hyper-technical and microscopic examination of the DOD By-Laws, I feel compelled to point out that 4 of the committee chairs “recommended” by the ad hoc, self-appointed “nominating committee” (Richardson, Maxwell and Dori Smith) and elected on February 25, 2023, were not eligible to hold their offices. The following individuals had not paid DOD dues at least 60 days prior to February 25, 2023:  …  (DOD By-Laws, Section 3.2 et seq.)  I do not here challenge their election.  I make this point to underscore the obvious hypocrisy of those who cite DOD by-law provisions to enforce them against their perceived opponents (Finland and me) but then ignore them for to suit their own agendas.

This is a formal complaint against Priscilla Richardson and against anyone else whom, upon investigation, is found to be behind the Richardson email at issue. Jaffe writes.

“My complaint is that the Email violates the multiple prohibitions of the RCDP Code of Conduct as set forth above,” Jaffe writes. “I demand the RCDP immediately undertake an investigation of this matter and take prompt and significant substantive disciplinary and corrective action against Richardson and any other persons founds to have violated the Code.”