Rosario Marin
Encyclopedia
Treasurer of the United States
The Treasurer of the United States is an official in the United States Department of the Treasury that was originally charged with the receipt and custody of government funds, though many of these functions have been taken over by different bureaus of the Department of the Treasury...
from August 16, 2001 to June 30, 2003 serving under President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. She is the first person to assume the post since William Clark
William Clark (congressman)
William Clark was a farmer, jurist, and politician from Dauphin, Pennsylvania.He served as secretary of the Pennsylvania land office from 1818 to 1821, and State treasurer from 1821 to 1827...
who was not born a United States citizen (Clark and his three predecessors were born subjects of the British crown before the USA came into being). She is the only U. S. Treasurer ever born outside U.S. borders or territory that would eventually become part of the country and is, therefore, often referred to as the only foreign-born Treasurer of the United States.
Early life
Marin was born Rosario Spindola in a two-room house in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Her father Mariano, a worker in a label-making factory in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, brought his family to the United States in 1972 on visas provided by his employer. The move was initially resisted by Marin due to her upcoming quinceañera
Quinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
and her fear of leaving behind her customs and traditions. Marin's family settled in Huntington Park, California
Huntington Park, California
Huntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
where her father obtained work as a janitor and her mother as a seamstress. They returned briefly to their old home in Mexico to celebrate a "small fiesta" in her honor.
Her poor command of English was another reason that Marin had resisted coming to the U.S. In high school, she was given an IQ test on which she scored a 27 out of 100 and was subsequently labelled as mentally disabled. This low score inspired Marin to work hard to learn the language which she accomplished in part by listening to songs on the radio and repeating the words. By 1976, she was in the top 20 out of a class of 500 and graduated with honors.
Marin's family had initially wanted her to forgo any further education and get a job in order to help out the family financially as well as help her mother care for her siblings. Marin compromised by working during the day and attending East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College
East Los Angeles College is a community college of the Los Angeles Community College District in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park. Fourteen communities comprise its primary service area...
at night. After graduating in 1980, she continued to take night classes at the Los Angeles campus
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
of the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
(CSULA). Marin graduated from CSULA in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Advocacy in the Wilson Administration
Marin was originally embarked upon a business and financial career. While attending CSULA, she had obtained work in 1981 at City National Bank in Beverly Hills as an assistant receptionist. After several promotions, Marin was poised for elevation to assistant vice president of the bank. However, in 1985 her son Eric was born with Down SyndromeDown syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
and she quit her job the following year in order to care for him. She also withdrew from a MBA program in which she was enrolled.
Her son's condition inspired Marin to become an advocate for the mentally disabled. During this time, she founded the first support group for Latino parent's with Down's children as well as Fuerza ("Force"), an organization dedicated to providing services and support to mentally disabled children, and lobbied state officials in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
on their behalf. It was also during this time, while counseling pregnant women with disabled children, that Marin became a supporter of abortion rights.
Marin's efforts came to the notice of state officials and, in 1992, she was appointed the chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services by Governor Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
. At DDS, Marin worked for legislation to benefit the mentally challenged. Two years later, Marin was named chair of the Council on Developmental Disabilities where she continued to advocate for the mentally disabled and their families. For her work on behalf of the mentally disabled, Marin received the "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize" by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 1995, the second person to receive the award.
Finally, in 1996, Marin was appointed the assistant deputy director for the Department of Social Services.
Political career
In addition to her public advocacy work, Marin became politically involved. She had been influenced to join the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) by her boss at City National after she naturalized in 1984. Additionally, Marin was inspired by what she felt she shared with the ideology of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
: "Personal responsibility. Small government. Strong national defense."
In 1994, while still working in the Wilson Administration, Marin ran for a city council seat in heavily-Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Huntington Park and won. She served seven years on the council including a term as mayor from 1999 to 2000- the first Hispanic to hold that post in the city's history. During her tenure, Marin was known as a law-and-order politician and was credited with various public safety initiatives that reformed the police department, increased its funding, and reduced crime by 50%. She also instituted a task force to combat air pollution in response to a government study that listed Huntington Park as one of several communities particularly at risk and launched a crackdown on a black market for illegal documentation. Despite her political registration, Marin was overwhelmingly re-elected to the council in 1999.
Marin was also known for being a tough and, sometimes, divisive participant of council meetings. Opponents accused her of raucous behavior while even allies acknowledged a certain arrogance. In 2000, she was censured by the council for being rude toward fellow councilmembers and citizens alike. Critics also accused her of missing council meetings and misusing her travel budget. Her improbable victory, they point out, was due to "misrepresenting her true political leanings" and a "savvy use of the Spanish media."
Marin continued to work for Governor Wilson for the first few years of her time on the council. In 1997, she was named deputy director of the governor's Office of Community Relations in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. As the public face of the Administration to Hispanics
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, Marin had to deal with the tricky subject of Proposition 187 and other anti-illegal immigration topics which were the subject of heated debate among the community. 187 was particularly unpopular in Huntington Park- a city Marin herself referred to as "the most Mexican city outside Mexico." While personally opposed to the controversial measure, Marin was called upon by the Administration to defend its position in support.
During this time, Marin served as an officer on several commissions such as president of the Mayors and Councils Department of the League of California Cities, vice-chair of the Latino Caucus, and chair of the Southeast Community Development Corporation. She was also a member of various boards such as the California Film Commission
Film commission
Film commissions are quasi-governmental, non-profit, public organizations that attract motion media production crews to shoot on location in their respective localities, and offer support so that productions can accomplish their work smoothly.- Introduction :Over 300 such organizations are active...
, the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
, and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and in 1998 completed the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
's program for senior executives in state and local government. In her last two years in office, Marin concurrently worked for AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
as Public Relations Manager
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for the Hispanic Market in the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
Region.
Marin continued to bolster her Republican credentials. At the state level, she served as a California delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention
1996 Republican National Convention
The 1996 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from August 12 to August 15, 1996...
. She was also a vice-president of the California Republican National Hispanic Assembly
Republican National Hispanic Assembly
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly is an American political organization founded in 1967 which seeks to promote Hispanic issues and interests within the Republican Party, and the Party's interests and candidates within the Hispanic population...
.
On the national scene, Marin was an ardent supporter of George W. Bush's presidential run
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
in 2000. While mayor, she had met the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
governor and volunteered in his campaign effort in California working on Hispanic outreach and acting as its Spanish-speaking surrogate. Her reputation and skill in the community was realized by Republican operatives and Marin's political cachet within the Party increased dramatically. Shortly after his election, Marin was featured prominently among the president-elect's circle.
In April, 2001, President Bush nominated Marin for the post of U.S. Treasurer. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 3 and resigned from her city council post three days later.
U.S. Treasurer
In addition to the Treasurer's traditional duties of overseeing the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Marin's tenure included organizing the Department’s first financial education outreach efforts. She also served as a member of the new Partnership for Prosperity efforts between the United States and Mexico. Marin was particularly concerned with educating young people on the importance of building and maintaining financial stability. She also served as a designee to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans on behalf of Treasury Secretary John W. Snow
John W. Snow
| image=John W. Snow.jpg|imagesize = 250px| order=73rd| title=United States Secretary of the Treasury| term_start=February 3, 2003| term_end=June 28, 2006| predecessor=Paul O'Neill| successor=Henry Paulson| birth_date=| birth_place=Toledo, Ohio...
.
Like previous US Treasurers, Marin continued to make numerous appearances on behalf of the Department, providing it with its public face. On June 15, 2002, she served as the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony of her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, CSULA, where she received an honorary Doctorate of Law degree and continued to garner praise for her achievements. That same year, she was awarded the "Groundbreaking Latina of the Year" award by Catalina
Catalina magazine
Catalina magazine was founded in 2001 by a Latina journalist to break the stereotypes of Hispanics in the US media and entertainment. Cover models have included Daisy Fuentes, Eva La Rue, Mario Lopez, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, María Conchita Alonso, and Natalie Morales...
magazine.
By April, 2003, speculation began circulating that Marin would soon return to California and become a GOP candidate to challenge US Senator Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
in the upcoming 2004 electoral cycle. At a speech to Californians in Washington, reporters noted her attacks against the budget of Gov. Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
.
On May 22, the Treasury Department issued a statement that Marin was resigning her office effective June 30, and was planning to move back to California. Press reports at the time continued to indicate that she would enter the 2004 Senatorial campaign.
Signature on Banknotes
Although Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill took the position on January 20, 2001 on Bush's inauguration, the office of the Treasurer remained empty for over 6 months until Rosario Marin filled the position. The series 2001 currency was delayed until Marin came on board. So the signature pair of Marin-O'Neill appeared on the 11.6 billion series 2001 banknotes.When O'Neill resigned, the office of the Secretary of the Treasurer was filled by John W. Snow in February 2003. A new Secretary requires that a new series of banknotes be produced. Although Marin resigned as Treasurer in June 2003, the office was not filled for over a year and a half. Consequently the Marin-Snow signature pair appeared on the entire production run of the series 2003 and the 2004 series banknotes. However, all 16.4 billion banknotes in these series were introduced into circulation after she had left the office.
Founding of NALL
Later in the year, Marin co-founded the National Association of Latina LeadersNational Association of Latina Leaders
The National Association of Latina Leaders is a non-profit organization representing millions of Hispanic women across the United States. It was co-founded in 2003 by Former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin and Media entrepreneur Cathy Areu. Rosario Marin served as the organization's Chairwoman during...
and served as its first chairwoman.
US Senate campaign
Hoping to ride the popular sentiment that toppled Democratic Gov. Davis in the recall election and installed Republican moderate Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
in his place, Marin officially became a candidate for the Republican nomination to the US Senate on December 2. In a half-hour speech before a hometown crowd in Huntington Park, Marin painted herself as a moderate while at the same time embracing certain key conservative Republican issues such as national security and low taxes. During the ensuing campaign, she would continue to walk a political tightrope, trying to stress her centrist philosophy while not alienating the Party's conservative base.
Highlighting her Republican credentials, Marin evoked rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, proclaimed her support for President Bush's $726 billion tax cut, and gave tough speeches about Mexico. At the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
in February 2004, Marin called for tougher US pressure on Mexico in her first major policy speech of the campaign, including adjusting existing treaties in order to deport criminal aliens. At the same time, she emphasized her own immigrant roots, backed the president's immigrant worker program (which was unpopular with conservatives), and voiced her support for civil unions and abortion rights- the latter of which she tempered with opposition to late-term abortions and support of parental consent laws. During the same month of her Mexico speech, Marin utilized Garry South, former advisor of Gov. Davis, to send out a mailer addressing the Republican's "white male problem" and offering her candidacy as the best chance to defeat Sen. Boxer.
Despite receiving an implied endorsement from the White House as the preferred candidate, Marin was attacked by her fellow Republicans, in particular, former California Secretary of State Bill Jones
Bill Jones
William Leon Jones is a U.S. politician from California who served in the California State Assembly and later served as California's 27th Secretary of State...
, the leading candidate for the GOP nod, for her perceived waffling on another hot button immigration issue: driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Although she had opposed the state measure granting them signed by Gov. Davis in 2003, she refused to take a position on tough federal legislation to punish states that do so introduced by Congressman Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...
the same year. Marin was also passed over by key Republicans when Governors Schwarzenegger, her old boss Wilson, and George Deukmejian
George Deukmejian
Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician from California who as a Republican served as the 35th Governor of California and as California Attorney General .-Early life:...
all endorsed Jones.
Critics placed doubt on Marin's ability to raise the estimated $25 million she would need with relatively little name recognition. Her refusal to elaborate on key policy statements drew further criticism. Democrats, in the meantime, brought up her contentious terms and censure while serving as a city councilwoman and mayor. Democratic California congresswoman Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
, among others, questioned Marin's claim that she had personally opposed Proposition 187 in 1994- a problem particularly vexing to the state GOP- saying that she did not do enough to voice that opposition publicly. Marin's attempts at distancing herself from more controversial GOP measures and tacking to the center were dismissed as posturing, and she was labelled by one high-ranking Hispanic Democrat as "a good house Mexican for the Republicans."
By the time of the primary, there were 10 candidates in the GOP race. Despite picking up a substantial number of undecided voters on election day, Marin was unable to overcome GOP frontrunner Jones in name recognition, funding, or popularity among the party. On March 2, she finished second with 20% of the vote compared to Jones' 44%.
Schwarzenegger Administration
Following her loss in the race for the US Senate, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Marin to the Integrated Waste Management Board (IWMB), the state solid waste agency that oversees and regulates recycling. She was sworn in on April 27 and elected chair of the board by her colleagues on September 21.On January 31, 2006, the governor appointed Marin as secretary of the California State and Consumer Services Agency
California State and Consumer Services Agency
The California State and Consumer Services Agency is a state cabinet-level agency of the executive branch of the U.S. state of California. The current secretary of the SCSA is former Assembly Member Anna Caballero. Caballero, appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, replaced Governor Arnold...
(CSCSA), an agency responsible for civil rights enforcement, consumer protection and the licensing of 2.3 million Californians in more than 230 different professions. On September 7, she received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" during the League of California Cities 108th Annual Conference.
In 2007 Rosario published her memoirs, Leading Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the First Mexican-Born Treasurer of the United States. Editorial Santillana published the Spanish version the following year. On May 10, 2008, Marin received an honorary doctorate for her achievements from Woodbury University
Woodbury University
Woodbury University, founded as "Woodbury Business College", is a private, non-profit, coeducational, nonsectarian university located in Burbank, California.-History:...
.
Marin continued to work on behalf of the Republican Party and was a featured speaker at the 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
, addressing the crowd on September 4. The previous day, she joined several other prominent Republican women in denouncing what they considered unfair attacks on vice presidential candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
by the media, bloggers, and the Democratic Party. Marin particularly noted her connection to Palin by virtue of their both having children with Downs.
In February 2009 Marin was the keynote speaker at the California Sustainability Alliance's
California Sustainability Alliance
The California Sustainability Alliance is an organization funded by the California IOUs to bring together key stakeholders needed to overcome the obstacles of sustainability. The Alliance was designed in 2008 to help meet the State’s aggressive climate, energy and other resource and environmental...
2008 Sustainability Showcase Awards where she discussed transforming the market through the implementation of California’s Green Building Initiative.
Stealth lobbying campaign
Later that same year, Marin was linked to a secret "stealth lobbying campaign" waged by Freddie Mac to influence federal regulation legislation in 2006. According to documents obtained by the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, the firm had utilized an influential lobbying agency for which she worked, the DCI Group, to target key Republican Senators. The goal of the campaign was to defeat a bill by Sen. Chuck Hagel
Chuck Hagel
Charles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 1996 and was reelected in 2002...
(R-NE) that would have overhauled the mortgage industry, including Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In January, 2006, Marin had given an address in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, speaking out against Hagel's Senate Bill 190 claiming that it was too far-reaching and would make it more difficult for people with low-incomes to become homeowners. "They will no longer be able to do what they have been doing," she said referring to the mortgage industry giants.
Marin's office confirmed that her visits to Montana and Missouri at that time were in association with her work for DCI. Sen. Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
(R-MT) came out against the bill which failed at the end of the 109th session of Congress as did eight of the remaining 16 senators targeted by the campaign.
Ethics violations
On March 5, 2009, Marin resigned her position as head of the CSCSA after inquiries by the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
into speaker's fees she had received and as the paper was preparing to publish a story concerning an ongoing investigation into her activities by the California Fair Political Practices Commission
California Fair Political Practices Commission
SUMMARYThe California Fair Political Practices Commission is the government body that enforces political campaign, lobbying, and conflict of interest laws in the state of California, similar to what the Federal Elections Commission does at the federal level...
(CFPPC). A spokesman for Governor Schwarzenegger released a statement that Marin had violated administration policy that prohibits public officials from receiving speaker's fees. Marin later fired back stating that "administration officials knew what she was doing and never advised her to stop."
The Times story and CFPPC investigation revealed that between April 2004 and the end of 2007, Marin had received in excess of $50,000 for various speaking engagements through the American Program Bureau agency. Additionally, forms filed by a firm established by her and her husband, Marin and Marin, LLC, indicated that she received between $10,000 and $100,000 in speaking fees. The CFPPC was particularly concerned with $15,000 Marin received from the drug company Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
in 2007 which was simultaneously lobbying the Board of Pharmacy, a regulatory panel under her jurisdiction, and $13,500 from Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
in 2008 when it was likewise lobbying agencies she oversaw. Marin countered that most of the speeches were "inspirational" in nature and that she had kept the governor's office and state senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
informed since her appointment to the IWMB. The CFPPC had initially launched its investigation after a routine review found that Marin had listed her speaking engagement fees as income.
In June, Marin settled with the CFPPC, admitting to three ethics violations of state law. Although she was subject to a $15,000 penalty, Marin's fine was reduced to $5,400 after the Commission accepted her position that she had received "bad legal advice" from state attorneys and had kept the administration informed. Schwarzenegger's office maintained that they were unaware of her speaking engagement fees.
Family
Marin married Alvaro "Alex" Marin, an immigrant from NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, in the early 1980s. Her husband also graduated from CSULA, obtaining a Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
degree in 1979. As of 2002, he was working for the city of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a system analyst.
The Marins have three children, Eric (b. 1985), Carmen (b. c1990), and Alex (b. c1992) and reside in Huntington Park, California.