Among the officials he enlisted to write or call Clinton aides were Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), former Rep. Esteban Torres, state Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, former Assembly speakers Antonio Villaraigosa and Bob Hertzberg, former Los Angeles City Councilmen Richard Alatorre and Mike Hernandez and Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.
Most said later they acted out of sympathy for Horacio Vignali, taking his word that his son got railroaded. There is no evidence any of them knew of the allegations in confidential law enforcement files that the elder Vignali may have been involved in drug trafficking.
Mayorkas and Baca said they gave character references for the father.
"I limited information to my personal experience with the father," Mayorkas said, explaining he had mingled with Horacio Vignali at social events and also socialized with him a couple of times alone. "I felt some compassion for the father and regrettably, that compassion may have been misplaced."
Baca said that after "listening to the father's broken heart" he wrote a character-reference letter for Horacio Vignali and responded to a call from the White House. Baca said, however, that he remained neutral on clemency and told a White House official the decision was Clinton's. The official who spoke with him, however, said she came away believing the sheriff supported clemency.
Former Deputy White House Counsel Bruce Lindsey spotlighted Baca's and Mayorkas' roles in the final decision. Lindsey told a congressional hearing last year that he went along with Carlos Vignali's early release, saying if Baca and Mayorkas "were not concerned about him coming back to their community, that I thought it was an appropriate commutation."
Horacio Vignali also paid $200,000 to Hugh Rodham, former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's brother, to lobby the White House on his behalf.
Baca said in an interview he learned only last month that Congress was preparing to disclose the unproven allegations against Horacio Vignali.
In response, Baca said, he returned the $11,000 in contributions from Vignali and began trying to find out about the allegations himself. He said he called and wrote letters to top officials of the FBI, DEA and U.S. Customs Service in Los Angeles, asking them if Vignali had been suspected of criminal activity. He said he was told "no" and has not heard back in three weeks on follow-up written requests.
