If Sterling’s A Racist Pig -- Why Keep His Money? NAACP-LA Head Resigns By Larry Elder

Leon Jenkins

By Larry Elder, May 2, 2014

The SterlingGate circus continues.

UCLA refuses Donald Sterling’s gift of $3 million, and returns nearly $500,000 already given. Why haven’t all the recipients, horrified at Sterling’s “racism,” also returned his money?

NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar briefly worked for Sterling. Is he giving back the money? Will the Los Angeles Clippers players, all of whom participated in the pre-game protest against Sterling, be returning the money he’s paid them?

The NAACP-LA head, Leon Jenkins, has resigned. In his letter of resignation, Jenkins said:

“Please be advised that the legacy, history and reputation of the NAACP is more important to me than the presidency. In order to separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused the NAACP, I respectfully resign my position as President of the Los Angeles NAACP.”

“Negative exposure”?

USA Today said, “Jenkins has come under fire from the public in recent days after it was made public that the chapter honored Sterling with a lifetime achievement award in 2009 and planned to do so again this month.”

The Washington Post wrote of Jenkins sudden resignation and also attributed it to the controversy from the chapter’s awards given to Sterling: “The head of the NAACP in Los Angeles has resigned following criticism of the chapter’s warm relationship with Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling despite his history of racial remarks.”

But is that the only reason Jenkins resigned?

Jenkins has been thrust into national medial attention because of the Sterling controversy. But as a result, some in the media have taken a look into Jenkins’ background -- and it isn’t pretty.

Turns out he is a disbarred ex-Detroit judge, kicked off the bench by the Michigan Supreme Court. The Los Angeles Times wrote:

“While Jenkins was a Detroit judge, he was indicted in 1988 on federal bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and racketeering charges, according to records from the State Bar of California.

“Authorities at the time alleged that Jenkins received gifts from those who appeared in his court and committed perjury, according to the records.

“He was acquitted of criminal charges, but in 1994 the Michigan Supreme Court disbarred him, finding ‘overwhelming evidence’ that Jenkins ‘sold his office and his public trust,’ according to the bar records.

“Jenkins was practicing law in California in 1991, serving as an attorney to the family of Latasha Harlins, an African American girl who was fatally shot by a Korean grocery store owner in South L.A., according to Times reports at the time.

“In 1995, the state bar began looking into the misconduct allegations from Michigan. He was disbarred in 2001. He tried to be reinstated in 2006 but was rejected, according to records. He made another attempt in 2012.

“Earlier this month, the bar turned him down, questioning whether he had the ‘moral fitness to resume the practice of law,’ according to records. The bar stated that he had made misrepresentations on divorce papers and on his petition for reinstatement to the bar. Officials said he failed to disclose a $660,000 loan he owed former legal clients.”

And this guy supposedly raised $2 million for the local branch? With his track record, has the branch conducted an investigation to make sure the money is accounted for? Better count the money!

This is likely what Jenkins meant in his resignation letter when he talked of “negative exposure.”

The NAACP national headquarters says it is embarrassed that Sterling, given his track record, was about to yet another “lifetime” award from the L.A. branch. The home office says its developing guidelines for awards so that branches can follow standards for eligibility.

But the greater embarrassment is that until this controversy, a disbarred judge, thrown off by the Michigan Supreme Court for taking bribes, ran the NAACP-LA branch.

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