12 People

The AP reveals how it is that a top legal scholar can be un-hired by the University that just signed him.

A conservative Los AngelesCounty politician asked about two dozen people in an e-mail last monthhow to prevent the University of California, Irvine from hiringrenowned liberal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky as its founding law schooldean, a spokesman for the politician said Friday.

Making Chemerinsky the head of the law school "would be likeappointing al-Qaida in charge of homeland security," MichaelAntonovich, a longtime Republican member of the county Board ofSupervisors, said in a voicemail left with The Associated Press.

As a result of the email, it appears, 12 people had discussions with Michael Drake, who then un-hired Chemerinsky.

Petracca said professors wereangry that Drake hasn’t given a full explanation for his decision,except to say at a faculty meeting Thursday that he spoke with 12people about Chemerinsky before withdrawing the offer. He wouldn’t saywho those people were, Petracca said.

The LAT adds a few more details about the lynch mob:

Also Friday, details emerged about the criticism of Chemerinsky thatthe university received in the days before Drake rescinded the joboffer, including from California Chief Justice Ronald M. George, whocriticized Chemerinsky’s grasp of death penalty appeals. Also, a groupof prominent Orange County Republicans and Los Angeles CountySupervisor Mike Antonovich wanted to derail the appointment.

[snip]

Michael Schroeder, one of Orange County’s most powerful GOP politicalplayers, said a group of 20 prominent Republicans organized againstChemerinsky in recent weeks, believing him to be a "longtime partisangunslinger" and too "polarizing" for the job.

Another member of the group, who asked not to be identified, saidDrake’s cellphone number was distributed so the protesters could callthe chancellor.

And then reveals that lynch mob member, Tom Malcom, appears to be trying to undo the damage, by un-un-hiring Chemerinsky if he promises to be a good, silent boy and allows Malcom to babysit his behavior.