Tan D. Nguyen
Encyclopedia
Tan Duc Nguyen was a two-time candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives
in California
. In 2004, he sought the Democratic Party
nomination to run against incumbent Republican
Dana Rohrabacher
in California's 46th congressional district
. In 2006, he ran as a Republican
against incumbent Democrat
Loretta Sanchez
in California's 47th congressional district
.
On February 14, 2011, Nguyen was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter
to 366 days in federal prison followed by six months in a halfway house for lying to investigators about his knowledge of a letter to intimidate Latino voters from voting in his 2006 race against incumbent Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez
.
, South Vietnam
, in 1973. In 1981, six years after the Fall of Saigon
, he and his family left Vietnam by boat
and emigrated to the United States. They settled in California, where Nguyen attended the University of California, Los Angeles
. He later graduated from the University of Minnesota
with a baccalaureate and emphases on business-economics, biochemistry, and Asian studies. Nguyen married Hanh Lam and settled in southern California, working for American Express
.
Democratic
primary to Jim Brandt
, who lost to incumbent Republican
Dana Rohrabacher
by a 30% margin.
in the November election, receiving 37.6% of the votes.
The letter was issued on the letterhead of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform
, however its chairwoman denied any involvement. Nguyen denied any personal involvement in the incident, and stated that an employee in his office who might have been responsible had since been fired. In the meantime a national coalition of ethnic bar associations formed lead by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund and spearheaded by its former President and General Counsel, John Trasvina. The coalition drafted and signed a joint letter calling for an investigation into the letter. On Friday, October 20, California Department of Justice
State Police agents raided Nguyen's campaign headquarters in Garden Grove
and his home in Santa Ana
.
On May 16, 2007, the California Department of Justice investigation determined there was no evidence that Nguyen's campaign had an intent to intimidate those legally entitled to vote. The investigation had found that the original draft of the letter (in English) had warned illegals and those with green cards against voting, but elsewhere had encouraged those with U.S. citizenship to vote. The phrase "those with green cards" had then been translated into "emigrado," for the Spanish-language letter that was mailed; this had later been translated back into English as "immigrant" when the letter was brought to light in the media. Senior Assistant Attorney General Gary Schons stated the investigation found that Nguyen did in fact know about the letter before it was mailed, in contradiction to Nguyen's repeated assertions that he was not aware of it. Nguyen, who continued to deny involvement with the letter, in other respects stated satisfaction with the investigation results, and considered himself exonerated.
brought against him by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. There were two jury trials which were presided over by United States District Court Judge David O. Carter. Nguyen was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced in February 2011 by Federal judge David Carter to one year in prison and six months in a halfway house.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
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...
. In 2004, he sought the Democratic Party
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...
nomination to run against incumbent Republican
Republican 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...
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...
in California's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and Orange County...
. In 2006, he ran as a Republican
Republican 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...
against incumbent Democrat
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...
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
in California's 47th congressional district
California's 47th congressional district
California's 47th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Orange County. The district covers the cities of Garden Grove and Santa Ana and parts of Fullerton and Anaheim, and includes Disneyland....
.
On February 14, 2011, Nguyen was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter
David O. Carter
David O. Carter is a United States District Court Judge for the Central District of California.-Biography:...
to 366 days in federal prison followed by six months in a halfway house for lying to investigators about his knowledge of a letter to intimidate Latino voters from voting in his 2006 race against incumbent Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
.
Biography
Nguyen was born Nguyễn Đức Tân in Da NangDa Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, in 1973. In 1981, six years after the Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
, he and his family left Vietnam by boat
Boat people
Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...
and emigrated to the United States. They settled in California, where Nguyen attended the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He later graduated from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
with a baccalaureate and emphases on business-economics, biochemistry, and Asian studies. Nguyen married Hanh Lam and settled in southern California, working for American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
.
2004 Congressional campaign as a Democrat
In 2004, Nguyen lost the 46th districtCalifornia's 46th congressional district
California's 46th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and Orange County...
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...
primary to Jim Brandt
Jim Brandt
Jim Brandt is a Californian who has run for Congress twice in the 46th District. Brandt served as an aviator during the Vietnam War, as a Captain. He later founded and was CEO of Pyramid Software, a company that developed and distributed software. He currently serves as practice manager with a...
, who lost to incumbent Republican
Republican 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...
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...
by a 30% margin.
2006 Congressional campaign as a Republican
Nguyen won the Republican Party's endorsement to run for the 47th Congressional District of California in the June 6, 2006 primary election with 55.4% of the votes in a three-way race. His staff included Thomas Fuentes, the former 20-year chairman of the Orange County Republican Party (1984-2004), arguably the most-influential County GOP chair in California’s long history. Nguyen lost to incumbent Loretta SanchezLoretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
in the November election, receiving 37.6% of the votes.
Campaign mailing controversy
Nguyen's campaign was linked to a Spanish-language mailing of 14,000 letters allegedly warning immigrants not to vote, threatening them with prison or deportation. The letter was received by registered Hispanic voters the weekend of October 15, 2006 and sent to the then-State Attorney General Bill Lockyer. On Monday, October 17, 2006 the California State Attorney General launched an investigation into the source of the letter. As translated in the press at the time, it read in part:- You are being sent this letter because you were recently registered to vote. If you are a citizen of the United States, we ask that you participate in the democratic process of voting. You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in imprisonment, and you will be deported for voting without having the right to do so.
The letter was issued on the letterhead of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform
California Coalition for Immigration Reform
California Coalition for Immigration Reform is a Huntington Beach, California-based political advocacy group devoted to immigration reduction...
, however its chairwoman denied any involvement. Nguyen denied any personal involvement in the incident, and stated that an employee in his office who might have been responsible had since been fired. In the meantime a national coalition of ethnic bar associations formed lead by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund and spearheaded by its former President and General Counsel, John Trasvina. The coalition drafted and signed a joint letter calling for an investigation into the letter. On Friday, October 20, California Department of Justice
California Department of Justice
The California Department of Justice is the department in the California executive branch under the leadership of the California Attorney General.-Description:It has 5344 employees and a budget of $791 million...
State Police agents raided Nguyen's campaign headquarters in Garden Grove
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
and his home in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
.
On May 16, 2007, the California Department of Justice investigation determined there was no evidence that Nguyen's campaign had an intent to intimidate those legally entitled to vote. The investigation had found that the original draft of the letter (in English) had warned illegals and those with green cards against voting, but elsewhere had encouraged those with U.S. citizenship to vote. The phrase "those with green cards" had then been translated into "emigrado," for the Spanish-language letter that was mailed; this had later been translated back into English as "immigrant" when the letter was brought to light in the media. Senior Assistant Attorney General Gary Schons stated the investigation found that Nguyen did in fact know about the letter before it was mailed, in contradiction to Nguyen's repeated assertions that he was not aware of it. Nguyen, who continued to deny involvement with the letter, in other respects stated satisfaction with the investigation results, and considered himself exonerated.
Obstruction of justice indictment
Despite the California Attorney General declining to press charges against Nguyen, a federal grand jury indicted him on a charge of obstruction of justiceObstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
brought against him by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. There were two jury trials which were presided over by United States District Court Judge David O. Carter. Nguyen was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced in February 2011 by Federal judge David Carter to one year in prison and six months in a halfway house.