Joseph Bernardino Montoya Jr. (April 30, 1939 – June 21, 2022) was an American politician who served in the California State Legislature from 1973 to 1990. He served in the State Assembly from 1973 to 1978 from 50th and 60th districts, and in the California State Senate from the 26th district from 1978 until his resignation in 1990. Prior to that, he was a member of the La Puente City Council and served as Mayor of La Puente.
His political career was cut short due his Montoya being indicted on the BRISPEC sting operation, and he was convicted of extortion, money laundering, and racketeering. He was imprisoned for five years, being released in 1995.[1]
In 1968, he was elected to the La Puente City Council, serving until his election to the State Assembly.[5] In 1970, Montoya ran for California State Assembly for the 50th district against incumbent William Campbell, and was endorsed by the Congress of Mexican American Unity.[6][3] He lost the election, but two years later due to redistricting, the seat was now vacant. He won the election narrowly against his opponent, Kieth W. Miller, in 1972.[7]
In 1978, Montoya announced that he would be challenging incumbent Alfred H. Song for the Democratic nomination for State Senate, using an investigation into Song by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for political corruption.[8] Running as a "good government" candidate, Montoya defeated Song and won the Democratic nomination for State Senate in the 26th district.[9]
Montoya was convicted of all but three counts, with other Senators calling on him to resign before he would be expelled from the Senate.[10] On February 5, 1990, the Senate Rules Committee stripped Montoya of his committee memberships and gave him the deadline of February 8 to resign or he would face expulsion; he resigned on February 9, saying in a speech that he would be cleared of the charges.[11] He was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison.[12][13] In 1991, the Court of Appeals reversed the conviction of Montoya on five of the seven counts.[14] The Court did not ask for Montoya to be released, but instead asked to reduce his sentence.[15] He was released from prison in 1995.[5]
Personal life
Montoya was married to Pilar Gonzalez in 1960, with the couple living in La Puente.[3] Sometime afterwards, he married Rita Stephenson. Montoya had four children and one stepchild. He died in Sacramento, California on June 21, 2022.
^Woo, Elaine (October 14, 2004). "Alfred H. Song, 85; Legislature's First Asian American Left Under a Cloud". Los Angeles Times. Montoya, who had run as a "good government" candidate, attacked the incumbent in a tabloid-style mailer that suggested, as Song put it, that "I was going to be indicted tomorrow." Song came in a distant third in the three-way race and faded into political oblivion.
