Anonymous voicemail against Bakersfield City Council candidate Mike Madrigal surfaces

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Local politics is certainly feeling the tension one week after the election.

Yet another local race has become muddier after an anonymous voicemail against a city council candidate surfaced Tuesday afternoon.

The voicemail – which sounds something like an automated message – begins: “This is a critical voter alert for residents of Bakersfield City Council Ward 5. Candidate Mike Miguel Madrigal is a convicted domestic abuser. Kern County prosecutors charged Madrigal with assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment after he plunged a knife into a local woman’s throat. When you cast your vote on November 5, send a strong message and tell Mike Madrigal that no means no.”

Kern County in depth: Speaking to candidates for Bakersfield City Council Ward 5

These are the contents of an anonymous voicemail that arrived Tuesday afternoon and shook up the race for the three candidates Bakersfield City Council Ward 5.

The candidate in question – Mike Madrigal – is running against fellow Republicans Larry Koman and Kevin Oliver.

Both Koman and Oliver strongly denied that they had anything to do with the automated message.

Unlike most political advertisements, this voicemail does not contain any disclaimer as to who or which group is behind it.

That begs the question: is this legal?

“By the time this is resolved, legally speaking, which is incredibly difficult to do with a phone call, the damage has already been done,” said Dr. Michael Ault, a professor of political science at CSUB.

Dr. Ault added that the timing of the allegations should be taken into account.

“I think one of the reasons, from a campaign perspective, is you want to save your best for last, and this is a pretty big bomb,” the professor said.

Jenny Huh from 17: “Is it dirty politics?”

Dr. Michael Ault: “It’s dirty politics.”

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The facts of the case – according to court records – are that Madrigal was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment.

He took a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 days in jail and three years’ probation after pleading no contest to the false imprisonment charge.

The other count was dismissed.

“So to say this is untrue, completely untrue, is unfair,” said Dr. Ault.

In a statement to 17 News Tuesday morning — before news of the voicemail — Madrigal stated in part: “In June 2005, 19 years ago, I went to a party with an ex-girlfriend. I was only 21… We were both drunk and I had her keys in my pocket. She wanted me to give her the keys to her car and I refused because I didn’t want her to drive drunk… I had a pocket knife and I pulled it out to scare her. This was a foolish mistake… She tried to physically take her keys from me and during a brief scuffle she accidentally suffered a small cut… the prosecutor dismissed the assault charge, and I charged instead admitted that I had committed an offense of false imprisonment for restricting her freedom of movement by refusing to return her keys. I was placed on misdemeanor probation and given a few days of work release. I regret this mistake… I am a much more responsible person now than when I was 21 years old.”

The victim and her family declined to comment at this time.

Madrigal’s campaign manager and Kern GOP leader Cathy Abernathy told 17 News that Madrigal remains in the race despite calls for him to suspend his campaign.

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