Mike Carona’s legal team is clearly behaving like the ex-sheriff’s conviction on one of six felony charges was a victory for their side. The Insider hears that about three dozen people celebrated with Carona (who is awaiting sentencing) and his Jones Day lawyers at The Winery in The District at Tustin Legacy last week. Props included newspaper headlines declaring the verdict a “miracle” …
USC and Mission Viejo High standout quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t have to go far for a sports agent: He’s being represented by older brother and former Yale QB Nick Sanchez, a business litigator with Theodora Oringher Miller & Richman in Costa Mesa. Mark is the first client of Nick’s new sports consultancy at the law firm. Mark has decided to skip his final year of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft, where he is expected to land a lucrative contract …
Octane, an OC support group for tech startups, has hired search firm Spencer Stuart to find a CEO. Gary Augusta, who has led the group since its 2004 launch, says he wants to “churn on my opportunities” after getting Octane through its startup phase …
Trial lawyer, philanthropist and Democratic Party power broker Wylie Aitken is a big shot in OC. But at the Obama inauguration he was just the guy sitting in front of Dustin Hoffman: “Every time someone asked for his photo with them he accommodated and they would then turn to me to take the photo with their camera.” He and Hoffman were guests of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chaired the inaugural ceremony. Aitken says she has asked him to help select federal judges from California …
Aitken and Anaheim Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez threw a reception for OC visitors to D.C., including Tom and Beth Phelps, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, Tom and Robin Umberg and Jerry and Linda Moulton Patterson. Access to the Army and Navy Club was provided by Chapman U trustee and retired Army National Guard Brig. Gen. David Henley …
Irvine’s Republican Congressman John Campbell said the vast majority of his 198 inaugural tickets went to Democratic constituents. Campbell said he got about 3,500 requests; he reserved “a few” tickets for VIPs, including Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and Councilwoman Beth Krom, both Democrats, and distributed the rest by lottery. “Democrats vote for me, too,” Campbell said …
Former secretary of state Colin Powell will keynote Chapman U’s Global Citizen Gala on March 28. Tickets are $1,500 each. Call (714) 744-7623 …
Organizers report the earliest sellout and largest field (17,000-plus participants) for Huntington Beach’s annual Surf City USA Marathon Sunday …
KOCE’s David Nazar has won a third Golden Mike from the Radio & Television News Association, this time for his spot news coverage of the 2007 Santiago Fire. Nazar has now won Golden Mikes for fire, rain (the 2005 Laguna Beach landslide) and smoke (a marijuana bust).
