Mario Juarez was accused
 of hitting his child over 30 times,
 according to reports.

FIGUEROA: ‘SHAME ON YOU MS. LOCKYER!’
By Steven Tavares

Nadia Lockyer has consistently dedicated her campaign for a seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to protecting children, but her opponent says she is cavorting with an alleged domestic abuser in the name of fundraising dollars.

Former state Sen. Liz Figueroa lashed out Thursday at Lockyer’s scheduled fundraiser tonight held by the controverisal former Oakland city council candidate Mario Juarez. According to a profile two years ago in the East Bay Express, Juarez who eventually was defeated by incumbent Ignacio De La Fuente, was accused by his wife Araceli Juarez of hitting their young son over 30 times.

“Shame on you Ms. Lockyer! Shame on you, there is no excuse for this camaraderie” Figueroa said late Thursday afternoon, just hours before the $1,000 fundraiser at Juarez’s real estate office in Oakland.

A spokesperson for the Lockyer campaign could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Figueroa faulted Lockyer for failing to do her job as the executive director of the Alameda County Family Justice Center to promote the safety of victims of domestic violence. “Holding lavish parties with their abusers is not only a violation of public trust but a clear betrayal of those she claims to protect,” said Figueroa.

The location of fundraiser spotlighting Latino businesses in Oakland is outside of the boundaries of the district Lockyer hopes to represent. During the primary campaign, Lockyer’s opponents made issue of this after a review of Lockyer’s campaign finance documents showed less than one percent of her war chest was raised in the district. Furthermore, Lockyer has received over $550,000 in donations from the campaign of her husband, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, in the past year leading to an overwhelming money advantage over Figueroa.

Juarez was also arrested for domestic abuse against his wife and a complaint was filed in Alameda County Superior Court in 1999. The Oakland businessman has also been in-and-out of bankruptcy over the past decades along with numerous lawsuit filed against him for non-payment. The perception of a candidate who could not manage his own finances campaigning to fix Oakland’s ailing budget situation went a long way towards his defeat for city council two years ago.

A VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE IS CROSS-POSTED AT THE EAST BAY EXPRESS WEB SITE.