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Sentencing brings call for state senator to resign

By WTOP Staff

LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special Correspondent

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California state Sen. Rod Wright was sentenced Friday to three months in prison for lying about where he lived when he ran for office and leaders of the Senate said he should resign immediately.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat from Sacramento, said in a statement that Wright’s constituents in Inglewood cannot continue without representation.

Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, said Wright should resign or face expulsion.

Wright was previously suspended with pay from his post in the Senate. His Capitol staff did not immediately return calls seeking a response to the demands to resign. His lawyer Winston Kevin McKesson said it was not a legal issue and he had not talked about it with Wright.

Expulsion of Wright would require a two-thirds vote of the state Senate, which is in recess and not scheduled to meet again until December. Democrats have repeatedly pushed aside previous calls to expel Wright, saying the legal process should run its course.

If Wright is expelled or resigns, Gov. Jerry Brown would need to call a special election to fill his seat.

During sentencing, Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy said Wright is no longer eligible to hold public office and rejected the claim that no harm was done by his actions.

“There is harm,” she said. “I wouldn’t call this a victimless crime. The victim is the process, the lack of respect for the process.”

The sentence came after defense lawyers stressed that Wright was re-elected by a landslide — even after he was charged in the case, and that voters who want Wright to continue serving would be hurt by a stiff penalty.

“All he wanted to do was be a good public servant and for the rest of his life he’s labeled a felon,” McKesson said.

Kennedy called the case a byproduct of term limits that send career politicians scrambling to seek new offices in different districts.

Wright was convicted of perjury in January for lying about his residence. It was the first of three unrelated cases against Democratic lawmakers that cast a shadow over the Legislature and cost the party a supermajority in the state Senate.

Wright said he moved into an Inglewood property so he could run in 2008 to represent the 25th Senate District, but jurors found he actually lived outside the district.

In his statement, Steinberg complained that election laws are interpreted differently by prosecutors in each county and said that inconsistency must be addressed.

The courtroom was jammed with friends and public officials supporting Wright, including U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters.

During the hearing, the judge rejected Wright’s motion for a new trial after prosecutor Bjorn Dodd said Wright further damaged the public’s jaded perception of politicians.

“He trampled on the electoral process,” Dodd said. “He played a game with it.”

Dodd noted that Wright had succeeded in serving a six-year term in the state Senate, and “If all that happens is he’s kicked out of office, then he likely gets away with it.”

McKesson angrily replied, “I don’t know in what real world losing one’s career at 62 years old is getting away with it.”

He said Wright would live with the stigma of being convicted of eight felonies, including perjury, voter fraud and filing a false statement of candidacy.

Wright was also sentenced to three years’ probation and 1,500 hours of community service.

After Wright’s conviction in January, federal prosecutors filed corruption charges against two other Democratic state senators, Ron Calderon of Montebello and Leland Yee of San Francisco.

The Senate suspended all three lawmakers with pay in March, ending Democrats’ two-thirds majority in the 40-member chamber — a supermajority that had allowed them to act without any support from Republicans.

Wright was ordered to surrender to law enforcement on Oct. 31. McKesson said he would file an appeal.

—

AP writers Judy Lin and Juliet Williams in Sacramento contributed to this story.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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