Taken For A Ride: Exclusive NEW Information On Ashburn's Arrest

A Facebook status hinting at the events of March 3.

When California State Senator Roy Ashburn was arrested on a DUI in Sacramento in the early hours of March 3 (his blood alcohol level wound up being .14 in a state whose legal limit is .08), the big national news was that the divorced father of four—staunchly against all LGBT-friendly legislation—was picked up after leaving a gay bar called Faces (pictured). However, the Sacramento Bee's coverage failed to mention the bar, nor did it mention the fact that he had a male passenger at the time of his arrest.

Ashburn's closet was built in part by the local media 

Context, context, context.

Boy Culture has new information that suggests Ashburn's mystery passenger is an openly gay 29-year-old San Jose man (he looks several years younger) who was visiting Sacramento for work and who did not know Ashburn is a senator. He is a Latino, which fits nicely with the supposition that Ashburn was picked up outside Faces—Tuesday was Latin Night.

From Ashburn's passenger's Facebook 

The manager of Faces has said she can't confirm Ashburn was in her establishment, but implied he probably wasn't because she'd remember an older white male:

"Tuesday nights are a very, very huge Latin crowd. We don't see a lot of white guys here on a Tuesday night. A white guy would stick out like a sore thumb."

Aside from the fact that I wouldn't expect a manager to remember every face, I'm willing to bet Latin Night at any gay bar has just as many older white men as it has younger Latinos!

My understanding is that Ashburn's passenger was staying at the Hyatt, which was very close to the spot where their vehicle, a government-issued car, was pulled over. I have no information as to whether this was a trick situation or simply one man driving another man back to his hotel—perhaps the passenger just stuck out his sore thumb to hitch a ride.

It's tempting to wonder whether the Republican stalwart's more shameful secret was the love that dare not speak its name or his attraction to Latinos despite his staunchly anti-immigration votes. What's next, hiring someone to mercilessly tax his assets in order to spread the wealth?

A more damning piece of information is that Ashburn apparently identified himself as a senator at the time he was pulled over, which would lead one to believe he hoped to use the prestige of his office to avert an arrest.

How Larry Craig can you get?

While I know the identity of the man I believe was in the car, I'm not revealing it yet—I wrote him to ask for a confirmation or a denial, but the only reaction from him so far was his decision to hastily delete some indiscreet Facebook status updates (reproduced within this post) and take his account private.

 

At least somebody is talking—Christopher Cabaldon, the out gay mayor of West Sacramento, has confirmed he's seen Ashburn at gay bars in the area and notes:

"To live a secret life and at the same time be attacking the people who you're one of but are too ashamed to admit, that's hypocrisy."

It's not illegal to be closeted or a hypocrite or to be self-loathing or even just to be a Machiavellian careerist, one or more of which probably fits Sen. Ashburn's behavior; the judgment aspect of this case is important, but is a social issue. More to the point is that this is a news story with relevant, easily demonstrable facts that were ignored by a local newspaper. Why?

News organizations should never be in the business of censoring pertinent information about public officials. If a politician is voting against gay issues while publicly cruising gay bars, that is as pertinent as if a politician who strongly advocates health care reform refuses to offer health benefits to his or her staff.

More info as I get it. Hopefully, Mr. Ashburn's passenger will come forward.

In the meantime, don't look for Ashburn—currently in his last year of office due to term limits—to show up at the California Republican Party's Spring Convention next week. Or if he does show up, don't accept a ride home from him if he offers.

LIGHT-HEARTED UPDATE: In other news:

Ed Helms gets my vote to play Ashburn in the movie!

Comments

[WickedGayBlog.com]

Great update!

[gern blanston]

The legal limit is .08, not .8 as was listed. Otherwise, damned fine reporting.

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Oops, thanks for the typo fix, Gern! But .8 would definitely be illegal, too...not to mention a medical miracle.

[TJ]

Oh, how I love a hypocrite! Also, .08 BAC, .8 is death.

[jzipperer]

Add my congrats on your reporting, and -- I hope -- a scoop in the near term with the young man's coming forward publicly.

[paisleyface]

What a horrible human being Ashburn is. A true piece of human garbage. Thanks for the info.

[Hadassah Weinreb]

Yea, he'll soon go into treatment for alcohol abuse, seek contrition for some unclarified "issues",admit to having failed his family. He'll return in a brief year as a lobbyist. All this will sink down the memory hole where all the other outed closet cases reside.
Big deal.
They need to be reminded of their actions for the rest of their damn lives.
Until there's a concerted campaign to confront homophobic politicians & spokespeople with suspicions of being deeply closeted themselves, these people will continue their psychopathological behavior.

[ALSNYC]

A gay bar should never be named "Faces." The mind tends to replace the "a" with an "e."

[NelsonG]

Glad your looking into Facebook, although at this point,it's not going to change the fact that when it comes to Roy Ashburn, there was a systematic failure at play here, from everyone, by everyone.

One would hope this incidents like these would lead to people demanding transparency from others like the Mayor of West Sacramento who limited himself to writing about Ashburn's hypocrisy on Facebook as if it were the equivalent to Staple's Easy Button.

Sheesh.

[Shilo]

Groups like GOProud are gradually creating a niche for guys like Ashburn. GOProud argues that hate crimes legislation is a "thought crime" and an unnecessary overreach by liberal activists. Soon, groups like GOProud will argue that gay men have every right to oppose marriage rights and even to promote hate against other gays. They will say that a man has every right to indulge in gay sex while at the same time demonizing it (like smokers). This is going to be a new sick 'identity' promoted by GOProud and Maggie Gallagher's gay friends at NOM.

[B]

"A more damning piece of information is that Ashburn apparently identified himself as a senator at the time he was pulled over, which would lead one to believe he hoped to use the prestige of his office to avert an arrest."

According to http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/senator.htm the California DMV issues special license plates to members of the state legislature, so identifying himself as a senator would indicate that he was authorized to use the car.

I'd avoid accusing him of using his office to wiggle out of it unless some additional facts are uncovered.

[Shilo]

"identifying himself as a senator would indicate that he was authorized to use the car"

Nice try ... but fail. The use of such a vehicle is NOT limited to state legislators. Also, it is NOT an authorized use of such a vehicle to take it to joyriding to a gay drinking establishment or other sex cruising spot. Lastly, the officer NEVER asked Ashburn about his employment. The only reason for Ashburn to bring it up IMMEDIATELY was to imply that he deserved special treatment. If you remember, Lt Gov Andre Bauer of South Carolina attempted the exact same thing when he was pulled over.

[PDQ]

"If you remember, Lt Gov Andre Bauer of South Carolina attempted the exact same thing when he was pulled over."

Was Bauer on his way home from the gay bar too?

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Bauer got out of speeding tickets, and many other elected officials get out of various legal jams with their clout. The other comparison: Bauer was DWG (driving while gay).

[Jerry Sloan]

It is does appear that the senator received some kind of special treatment as his car was not towed away as is the usual case when drunk drivers are arrested. News reports say he was allowed to park the car on the street.

The Hyatt is across the street from the Capitol which also contains a 24 hour parking lot for legislator's cars. It is about 7 blocks from Faces which is at 20th & K and the hotel is 13th and L which is a one way street so weaving and other violations are easily spotted and the cops for years have been catching cars from the 3 gay bars located in the area.

[Mad Professah]

I strongly agree with your point about the media.

If they would just DO THEIR JOB and report facts about people's sexuality when that information is relevant to the story we wouldn't have this clusterf*ck right now.

An anti-gay, anti-immigrant politician that likes to hang out at gay bars on Tuesday Latino night? RELEVANT!

It's not "outing" it's REPORTING.

[Anne]

OMG that is AMAZING!!! Ed Helm DOES look exactly like this guy!

[jaco]

hmmmm.....
tiger woods cheating on his wife is more interesting and WAY more important than some self loathing homo hypocrite politician, who wants me to do as he says not as he does.

anything NEW for news?

[jaco]

the 'senator' has a nice smile. maybe this political thing is just role play for the senator

[Bill Brown]

The Roy Ashburns of the world live up to the Republican motto: "I've got mine, f**k you!"

[DEREK WASHINGTON]

I don't see what liking Latinos has to do with being anti-immigration. You assume the passenger wasn't a natural born US citizen. Sorta racist.

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Derek: I find it surprising that I would have to explain the link, but I think being anti-immigration has NOTHING to do with people immigrating (nobody protests the Dutch) and everything to do with being sorta racist vs. brown people.

I did not assume that his passenger was not born in the USA; I assume he probably was based on his profile that I was able to check out.

[Matthew Rettenmund]

Derek: PS It is, to me, like how people who are virulently against social programs are often feeling that way because they don't want black and brown people to get free money. I think you can certainly be against governmental safety nets and not be racist, but in my experience, there is often a tie.

[Stefano Castellanos]

so what! he gets some action at gay clubs. Most conservative men are that way, they do not openly tell their families they like gay sex but get it anyhow. Think how many of you have parents that fit the description and never came out but are gay. so what?