It was a Halloween party for the reddest Republicans in Orange County, thrown by county GOP chief Scott Baugh.
Into the 2005 gathering strode Mike Schroeder, one of Orange County's most powerful and enigmatic Republican political players, cloaked as Star Wars' villain Darth Vader, black helmet and all.
"After we figured out who he was, we all got a good laugh," recalled political consultant Matt Cunningham. "But I think Mike got the biggest kick of all."
Schroeder, 50, revels in his reputation as the enforcer of Orange County Republican politics, acquaintances and party insiders say. It's a role that stretches back at least a decade to the days when Schroeder was climbing in the party ranks, eventually serving as the state chairman.
Working with candidates, often as an unpaid advisor, he has shaped many successful campaigns, formulating broad strategies as well as thinking out every detail. And for the last decade, he has been the power broker Orange County candidates must appeal to if they want the Republican Party's blessing -- and the big-business campaign contributions that come with it, Cunningham and others say. Schroeder can also be ruthless when crossed, say those who have stepped outside the party leadership's good graces.
A USC-trained lawyer who made his fortune selling malpractice insurance to chiropractors, Schroeder isn't hesitant to file lawsuits when he believes he has been wronged. In recent years, he has sued a former landlord, his home warranty company and an airline that lost his luggage. A decade ago, in a dispute involving a family business, he sued his own mother.
Among those Schroeder has helped put into office over the years are Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), former Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (now the mayor of Anaheim) and Baugh, who served in the Assembly before becoming the county party chairman.
At the local government level, Schroeder has focused on law enforcement races. Eight years ago, he helped Sheriff Mike Carona and Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas win office. Since then, he has served as a political advisor and sometimes spokesman for both men, helping them weather a series of controversies.
Schroeder's rise to prominence came with the wave of socially conservative Republicans who briefly assumed control of the Assembly in the mid-1990s, when Schroeder's protege, Pringle, became speaker.
