• Homicide detectives probe man's overdose death at the home of prominent

    From Disgusting Democrat Behavior@21:1/5 to All on Sat Sep 1 22:20:39 2018
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    Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detectives are
    investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal drug
    overdose of a 26-year-old man at the West Hollywood home of
    prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck.

    Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Monday that while coroner's officials
    ruled Gemmel Moore's July 27 death an accident, homicide
    detectives will be conducting a follow-up investigation based on
    "additional information." He declined to elaborate.

    Initial investigations by deputies and the Los Angeles County
    Coroner's office did not flag anything suspicious in Moore's
    death, sheriff's Capt. Chris Bergner said, but the new probe was
    being launched "out of abundance of caution."

    Seymour Amster, an attorney representing Buck, said Monday that
    his client had "nothing to do with this young man's tragic
    death."

    He added that Moore, whom he described as a "good friend" of
    Buck, was found in a bathroom of the home, alone, with the door
    closed.

    It was "a self-imposed accidental death," he said. Buck, 62, did
    not return calls seeking comment.

    Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said Buck was
    inside the Laurel Avenue home at the time of Moore's death and
    that drug paraphernalia was recovered from the scene.

    The new investigation came amid calls by Moore's family for a
    deeper examination of his death.

    A family friend provided the Los Angeles Times with pages of
    what he said was Moore's journal from December. The friend also
    provided a video showing him picking up the journal from the
    coroner's office. In the purported journal entries, Moore writes
    about his drug use. He also makes accusations against Buck.

    Moore's mother, LaTisha Nixon, said her son worked for a time as
    an escort and used drugs. Shortly before his death, he told her
    he was homeless.

    "I can't bring my son back. He's gone," said Nixon, a mail
    carrier who lives in Spring, Texas. "There's nothing I can do.
    I'd give the world if I could. I just want this situation
    exposed."

    Amster dismissed the journals.

    "What happened in 2016, in unverified writing, I doubt has
    anything to do with what happened in 2017," the attorney said.
    "There is nothing to show that Ed was anything but a kind-
    hearted individual trying to help somebody else by giving them
    access to his home."

    Buck became a nationally known figure in the late 1980s when he
    led the effort to impeach Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham. News reports
    at the time described Buck as a conservative Republican.

    The New York Times in 1987 described him as "a 33-year-old
    millionaire entrepreneur who retired from the insurance service
    business a year ago to found the Mecham Recall Committee."

    Upon learning that Buck is gay, Mecham's aides distributed
    bumper stickers reading "Queer Ed Buck's Recall." The Arizona
    governor's efforts to dismiss the recall supporters — whom he
    dubbed "a band of homosexuals and a few dissident Democrats" —
    with comments about sexual orientation were pilloried in
    "Doonesbury" comics.

    More recently, Buck donated to various Democratic causes.
    Through June of this year, Buck donated $23,600 to various
    California races and causes, including $7,600 to Senate
    President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) in his bid for
    lieutenant governor, according to campaign finance records. He
    also donated to candidates running for election to the West
    Hollywood City Council, Los Angeles Unified School District
    board and state Senate.

    Buck had also served on the Stonewall Democratic Club Steering
    Committee. Last week, the group requested Buck's resignation in
    the wake of Moore's death.

    "We understand Mr. Buck has not been charged with a crime and we
    cannot comment on those allegations," the organization said in a
    statement. "They are serious, however. We have requested,
    therefore, and accepted the resignation of Mr. Buck from the
    Stonewall Democratic Club Steering Committee."

    According to Amster, Buck agreed to resign because he did not
    want to draw negative publicity to the organization.

    richard.winton@latimes.com

    alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

    hailey.branson@latimes.com

    http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-democratic-donor- overdose-20170814-story.html#
     

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