Richard Alarcon wants back in the politics game

Now that former City Council member and state lawmaker Richard Alarcon's voter fraud and perjury convictions have been overturned — and with them his ban on holding office — the longtime San Fernando Valley pol is doing the improbable. Alarcon says he is running for Congress against the East Valley incumbent Tony Cardenas. No matter that Cardenas has a war chest stocked away or that Alarcon has no campaign money, with a vacated-on-appeal conviction and 51 days of house arrest in his baggage. Also, the last time he faced Valley voters, trying to return to the state Assembly, Alarcon was soundly rejected.

So what's up?

There are those who think this is just a way for Alarcon to cause a little annoyance to Cardenas, his longtime rival in Democratic Party politics in the East Valley. Alarcon says the presence of a grand jury asking questions of a Cardenas aide givs him an opening. Maybe he's looking to get lucky and be in position should something break to undercut Cardenas' position as the favorite to be reelected. In the LA Weekly, political consultant Leo Briones says of Alarcon, "he’s just doing it to tweak Tony." Adds California Democratic Party vice chair Eric Bauman: "I’m not sure this is a good thing for him and for the party. ... That said, Richard has every right to run. I suppose it’s gonna be what it's gonna be."

The Weekly story also quotes Alarcon's statement in support of a ballot designation as "Retired Public Servant."

Since retiring as a public servant, Mr. Alarcon has been largely unable to work and has been distracted with other pressing concerns. He has largely has (sic) spent his time fighting his criminal charges, playing online poker, spending quality time with his wife and family, and successfully appealing his convictions as well as his wife's. He was recently successful in the latter endeavor having had his convictions reversed by the California Court of Appeals due to innocence as a matter of law. All in all, aside from a brief stint of house arrest, Mr. Alarcon can be said to be thoroughly enjoying his retirement.

I know: it must be performance art by Alarcon.

Alarcon was convicted in 2014 of lying on official forms about whether he lived in the Panorama City house he claimed, which was in his City Council district, or outside the district in a Sun Valley home owned by his wife, Flora Montes De Oca Alarcon. She was also convicted. Earlier this year the convictions were overturned on appeal because the jury had been given incorrect instructions.