Dear Editor – DBA Switches Out Booth for CCDems United @ Art, Walk & Roll Fest

Dear Crossroads Readers,

Last Saturday, we were surprised to see a booth for Culver City Democrats United at the annual Art Walk & Roll street fair. As leaders of the Culver City Democratic Club, the city’s original Democratic club, established in 1952, we knew this event specifically excludes political booths and that the contract to rent a booth explicitly prohibits political groups and candidates.

The Arts District Residents Association, who organized the fair, received multiple complaints about the CC Democrats United booth. We were told that Darrell Menthe, who is Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association (DBA) and a Vice President of CC Democrats United, had reserved it for the DBA but installed CC Democrats United’s banners, signs, and literature instead. The organizers also said he had been asked to leave, and we got to the DBA/CC Democrats United booth in time to watch him pack up.

In other words, Mr. Menthe used his position with one neighborhood group to lie to another neighborhood group on behalf of a Democratic club. His unethical conduct has damaged the relationship between the Downtown Business Association and the Arts District Neighborhood Association and has put in question whether the DBA represents all its members or just a specific political faction. The DBA does not endorse candidates and its members did not authorize Mr. Menthe to use its name or resources to campaign.

His conduct also puts in question whether it is appropriate for the City to continue to partner with the DBA on events such as the annual holiday tree lighting, since Mr. Menthe has improperly blended his roles as DBA Director and CC Democrats United VP and used the DBA for partisan political activity. He, the DBA, and CC Democrats United may also have violated campaign ethics regulations, but we are not lawyers.

This situation also reflects very badly on CC Democrats United. Despite the name, they are a splinter group established last year by disgruntled conservative members of the actual CC Democratic Club. After consistently losing votes in our club, instead of attempting to become more persuasive or better organized, they abandoned the democratic process and formally divided the city’s Democrats. This is the first time they have been active in a general election, and Mr. Menthe’s dishonesty has discredited them and embarrassed our Party. Democrats don’t need to cheat to win. That’s the other team. We trust voters to recognize that our platform and candidates represent their values.

We ask that the City of Culver City and the various neighborhood associations demand Mr. Menthe’s resignation in order to restore trust in the DBA.

To you, Culver City voters, we ask that you support the candidates and ballot measures endorsed by the Culver City Democratic Club, the authentic voice of local Democrats since 1952. Visit us at c-c-d-c.com We play fair and tell the truth.

Leah Pressman, LA County Democratic Party Central Committee & California Democratic Party Executive Board Member

Jeff Schwartz, Culver City Democratic Club President & LA County Democratic Party Central Committee Associate Member


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