Ed Buck
Ed Buck (born Edward Bernard Peter Buckmelter) is a prominent gay democrat donor who has been described as an "early AIDS activist" at smartvoter.com,[1] who profiled him for his failed West Hollywood City Council Run in 2007.
- "Ed Buck organized the first AIDS education program in Arizona. As a successful businessman, Ed pioneered the use of electronic information services. Since retiring to West Hollywood in 1991, Ed has been a volunteer for animal rescue....Concurrently, he has been a vocal supporter of ethics and campaign finance reform."
Gemmel Moore's Death
Ed Buck is accused of supplying the drug methamphetamine on July 27 2017 to a young black man named Gemmel Moore, a "self-confessed prostitute," who overdosed and died in Ed Buck's home. A local outlet, the West Hollywood site wehoville.com broke the story on August 7 2017.[2]
The same outlet reported[3] that the death of Gemmel Moore was ruled as an accident:
- "The L.A. County Coroner’s Office had ruled the death an accident caused by an overdose of methamphetamine, a highly addictive and dangerous drug that is popular among some gay men. The Sheriff’s Department says that drugs and drug paraphernalia were found at Buck’s apartment."
West Hollywood’s monthly City Council meeting August 2017
As reported at the San Diego-based LGBT Weekly in September 2017:[4]
- "Two week’s ago, at West Hollywood’s monthly City Council meeting[5], Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath encouraged anyone with information about the Buck’s proclivities regarding meth and sex workers to talk to the L.A. County District Attorney’s liaison at the local sheriff’s station, assuring that they need not fear prosecution if doing so might implicate them in minor drug offenses.Gemmel Moore's family begs for justice during city council meeting in West Hollywood in August 2017
- "Two week’s ago, at West Hollywood’s monthly City Council meeting[5], Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath encouraged anyone with information about the Buck’s proclivities regarding meth and sex workers to talk to the L.A. County District Attorney’s liaison at the local sheriff’s station, assuring that they need not fear prosecution if doing so might implicate them in minor drug offenses.
- "Horvath’s fellow council member, John Duran reminded members of the public in attendance and those watching the meeting on city television or online that there are no guarantees, and that prosecutable offenses are, by definition, prosecutable. At least one person in attendance saw John Duran, a friend of the man in whose apartment the Texas youth died, as trying to discourage people from coming forward."
- "Meanwhile, a growing mountain of evidence—including multiple eyewitness accounts, smartphone images, background interviews, on-the-record interviews, court documents, hospital bills and text messages—reveal a pattern that depicts well heeled politico Ed Buck as a man with a history of allegations that he pays young, good-looking African American men anywhere from $500-$3500 to inject, smoke and otherwise ingest potentially fatal doses of crystal methamphetamine and GHB during allegedly paid sexual encounters.
- "But the sex takes a back seat to Buck’s alleged primary fetish, according to several sources, who say his first interest is getting young, black men to take dangerously large doses of street drugs.
Stonewall Democratic Club
The Stonewall Democratic Club asked Ed Buck to resign from their steering committee, which he did.[6]
Recipients of Ed Buck's Donations
Ed Buck donated to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election campaign, Ted Lieu, Pete Aguilar, Raja Krishnamoorthi and the Getting Things Done PAC.[7]
West Hollywood City Council Run
In 2007, Ed Buck made an unsuccessful run for a seat on the City Council. In that campaign, he teamed up with Steve Martin and Heavenly Wilson for the "Save West Hollywood campaign slate"[8] to challenge incumbents John Heilman, Abbe Land and Sal Guarriello, all of whom were re-elected. At the time, Ed Buck's team was dedicated to "ending the evictions of renters, and preserving the West Hollywood urban village" and "will stand up for you against the big developers who have bought City Hall, offering a new team to return West Hollywood to its original vision."
Heckled California Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman
In 2010, Ed Buck reportedly heckled then-California Republican Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, and was confronted by then New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. From the article, posted at nj.com:[9]
- "Christie was concluding a town hall meeting with Whitman when an angry audience member criticized her for not taking questions.
- 'What are you hiding?' shouted Ed Buck, in jeans and a light shirt in the front row of the 400-person event. 'You’re looking like Arnold in a dress,' he said in a reference to outgoing California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Before Whitman could respond, Christie stepped down from the stage and got in Buck’s face.
- 'Hey, listen. You know what. You want to yell, yell at me,' Christie said, shutting down Buck as Christie’s bodyguards calmly but quickly approached the two men. 'It’s people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you who are dividing this country. We’re here to bring this country together.'"
League of Humane Voters Convention
The League of Humane Voters California "held a political convention for pro-animal candidates February 17, 2013. Councilman Eric Garcetti, City Controller Wendy Greuel, Councilwoman Jan Perry, Senator Ted Lieu, Mayoral candidate Kevin James, Mayor candidate Emanuel Pleitez, West Hollywood candidates Jeffrey Prang and John Duran, Mike Feuer and Senator Curren Price who are currently candidates for office spoke at the event. Also in attendance were Judie Mancuso, Rich McLellan, Christy Metropole, Dr. Jennifer Conrad of the Paw Project, Dr. Jim Jensvold Commissioner of LA Animal Services, Kathleen Riordan Commissioner of LA Animal Services, Jim Bickhart from the Mayor's office, Mary Krasn, Scott Sorrentino, Michael Bell, Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates, Eileen Smulson of Operation Blankets of Love, Diane Lannes, Patty Shenker, Dr. Armaiti May, Phyllis Daugherty, Marie Atake, LauraBeth Heisen, Ed Buck, Jeff Fleiss, Jane Garcia and many others.[10]
Evan Mecham Recall Effort
Ed Buck was described in 1987 by the New York Times as "a 33-year-old millionaire entrepreneur who retired from the insurance service business a year ago to found the Mecham Recall Committee."[11] In 2001, Time Magazine referred to Ed Buck as "a gay Phoenix businessman and conservative Republican"[12] in an article discussing the successful Recall effort.
Later, in 2010, Ed Buck claimed in the comments section of a blog[13] that he was initially a Republican but was disenfranchised with their stance on homosexuality:
- "I can remember Barry Goldwater saying 'out of the boardroom and out of the bedroom' when referring to the role of government. That's the GOP I was a proud member of. Then I can remember Newt's 'Contract with America'. I wonder if we can sue the GOP for violating the terms of our agreement."
1987 Arrest for "Public Sexual Indecency"
The Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona on October 18, 1987[14] reported that Ed Buck was arrested in a Phoenix bookstore for "Public Sexual Indecency" after (as he described) a police officer "saw him 'grab the crouch' of a friend."