False Claim of an Affair With US Atty. Forced 250 Prosecutors Off Case

A court hearing yesterday revealed why 250 federal prosecutors in Los Angeles and Santa Ana removed themselves from the corruption prosecution of former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona.

The unusual action was the result of allegations that Carona had an affair with U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang, report the Daily Journal (sub. req.) and Los Angeles Times. "I'm not saying the statement is true," said the lawyer who aired the allegation at the hearing, Sylvia Torres-Guillen. She said the allegation had been made by one Carona associate to another and was reported to government investigators.

One of the two prosecutors who remain on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Julian, said the allegation proved untrue. Julian and another prosecutor report directly to the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. The hearing sought their removal.

Yang, now a lawyer with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, told the Daily Journal in a statement that the allegation is “absolutely untrue” and she had no personal relationship with the sheriff. Carona’s lawyer also said his client denied the allegation.