Michael D. Duvall

Michael Dobbins Duvall[1] (born June 14, 1955) is a Republican politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. Duvall was first elected as the Assemblyman for California's 72nd District in 2006, and was re-elected in 2008. During his time in the Assembly, he served as the vice chairman of the Utilities & Commerce Committee. Prior to his service in the Assembly, he served on the Yorba Linda City Council from 2000 to 2006, was a mayor of Yorba Linda, and owned an insurance agency.

Michael D. Duvall
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 72nd district
In office
December 4, 2006 – September 9, 2009
Preceded byLynn Daucher
Succeeded byChris Norby
Personal details
Born (1955-06-14) June 14, 1955
Castro Valley, California, US
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSusan Duvall
Childrentwo
ResidenceYorba Linda, California
ProfessionInsurance

In July 2009, Duvall was caught on tape bragging to a fellow committee member about extramarital sex with two women, one of them a lobbyist. Los Angeles local television first aired the tape on September 8, 2009, and Duvall resigned the next day.

Personal life and early career

Duvall lives in Yorba Linda with his wife Susan Duvall, and has two adult children.[2] Susan is a local small business owner.[3] While in the Assembly, Duvall would spend most weekdays in Sacramento, and fly back to southern California on weekends.[4]

Duvall served on the Yorba Linda City Council from 2000 to 2006 and was elected mayor twice during that period. Chapman University awarded Duvall the Ethics in America Award in 2000 for his "demonstration of the highest standards of ethical integrity" while a member of the Chamber team. He also owned an insurance agency. In January 2005, he was appointed to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and served on the Foothill/Eastern Corridor Joint Powers Authority, on the Orange County Sanitation District, as a Director of the Ground Water Replenishment System, and as a Member of the Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency. Prior to being elected to the City Council, Duvall served as President of the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, as chairman of the Yorba Linda General Plan Steering Committee, and as co-chair of "Safe Streets Are for Everyone."[3] In 2006, Duvall sought to allow Orange County government officials to force the California Department of Transportation to fix broken roads and other problems in the county, which he alleged the department ignored.[5]

State Assembly

Duvall was first elected as the Assemblyman for California's 72nd District in 2006, and was re-elected in 2008. The district includes much of inland Orange County, including the cities of Fullerton and Anaheim. During his time in the Assembly, he served as the vice chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, which monitored the operations of the California Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, and California Highway Patrol. Later, he was assigned to the Assembly Insurance Committee, the Education Finance Subcommittee, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that oversaw the Legislative Analyst's Office.[3] In 2009, Duvall was appointed vice chair of the Utilities and Commerce Committee, which reviews legislation of public utilities.[6]

Legislation Duvall authored included Assembly Bill 2110, which would require people to pass a vessel operator exam or class before getting a license to operate boats or other watercraft.[7] He also authored a bill to allow public schools in the state to spend otherwise categorical funding more flexibly.[8]

Political positions

The conservative Capitol Resource Institute gave him a 100% rating, calling him "a consistent trooper for the conservative causes" who "voted time and time again to protect and preserve family values in California".[9]

According to a voter guide that the Orange County Register published for the 2006 State Assembly Republican primary for the 72nd district, Duvall supported limiting government expenditures and housing regulations, the latter of which he believed caused higher housing costs. Regarding developments, he believed in balancing preserving and setting aside open space. An opponent of illegal immigration, he supported tougher border security and enforcement of immigration law.[10] In 2008, Duvall supported Proposition 8, which reversed the California Supreme Court decision recognizing same-sex marriage in the state.[11]

Extramarital affairs and resignation
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During a lull in a July 8, 2009 appropriations committee meeting, Duvall had a conversation with fellow Republican committee member and Assemblyman Jeff Miller,[12] wherein he described two different affairs he was currently engaged in with two women, one of them being a lobbyist.[2][13] Duvall's microphone was "live," and his graphic descriptions, although whispered, were recorded.[13][14]

The story was first reported on September 8, 2009 by KCAL 9 News,[13] which aired footage of the conversation.[14] The same evening, the OC Weekly published an in-depth piece covering Duvall's affairs, including some of the more graphic parts of the conversation which KCAL was unable to air.[4][13] One of the affairs raised ethical questions, as it was with a lobbyist for Sempra Energy and Duvall was Vice Chairman of the Assembly's Utility and Commerce Committee.[14][15]

Duvall resigned during the noon hour on September 9, less than 15 hours after the story broke.[16] On November 2, the FBI announced it had conducted an investigation of Duvall's actions, and that he would not face federal charges. In response, Sempra Energy reinstated lobbyist Heidi Barsuglia, the woman with whom Duvall allegedly had an affair. Barsuglia released a statement saying: "This experience has been a professional and personal nightmare. I did nothing whatsoever illegal or unethical with former Assemblyman Duvall or anyone else." She stated that she was considering legal action against Duvall.[17]

Electoral history

2006
California's 72nd State Assembly district election, 2006[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael D. "Mike" Duvall 55,664 59.2
Democratic John MacMurray 35,352 37.5
Libertarian Brian Lee Cross 3,114 3.3
Total votes 94,120 100.0
Majority 20,312 21.7
Republican hold

2008
California's 72nd State Assembly district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Duvall (incumbent) 79,066 54.80
Democratic John MacMurray 65,216 45.20
Total votes 144,282 100.00
Turnout   65.01
Republican hold

References
  1. "Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing".
  2. Williams, Juliet (2009-09-09). "Calif. GOP Lawmaker Quits Over Taped Sex Comments". The Arizona Republic. Associated Press. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  3. "Biography – 72nd Assembly District". California Assembly. Archived from the original on 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  4. Moxley, R. Scott (2009-09-10). "Assemblyman Mike Duvall Resigns in Wake of Sex and Ethics Scandal". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  5. Kindy, Kimberly; Shulyakovskaya, Natalya (2006-10-16). "Local control of Caltrans sought". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  6. Ginno, Carolyn (2009-02-02). "Assemblyman appointed vice-chair of Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  7. Strege, Dave (2008-04-11). "Casitas lifts boat ban with restrictions". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  8. "Editorial: Getting more dollars into the classroom". Orange County Register. 2008-04-13. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  9. "Assemblyman Resigns for Sex Scandal; SDG&E Lobbyist Reportedly Involved". San Diego Channel 6 – The CW. September 11, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  10. Carpenter, Eric (2006-05-08). "VOTER GUIDE: 72nd Assembly District, Republican primary". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  11. "Proposition 8 continues to cause a stir". Duvall Dispatch. California State Assembly. November 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  12. Buchanan, Wyatt; Yi, Matthew (2009-09-09). "Assemblyman quits after scandal". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  13. Goddard, Taegan (2009-09-09). "California Lawmaker Caught on Tape". Political Wire. Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  14. Goldmacher, Shane; McGreevy, Patrick (2009-09-10). "Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigns after his sex comments are broadcast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  15. "Recorded sex comments cost lawmaker his job". nbcnews.com. Associated Press. September 10, 2009.
  16. "Assemblyman Mike Duvall's full statement". Los Angeles Times. 2009-09-10. Archived from the original on September 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  17. McGreevy, Patrick (2009-11-03). "FBI clears former Assemblyman Duvall". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  18. 2006 State Assembly Results Archived 2009-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
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