It\u2019s also a city where Mayor Valerie Amezcua<\/a> rarely agrees to take any kind of questions from the local press, much less grant interviews \u2013 especially when it comes to critical questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Same goes for City Council members like Phil Bacerra<\/a>, who rarely takes questions from reporters in real time and mainly only reaches out after stories are published.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bacerra this election is being challenged by OC Rapid Response Network\u2019s Director of Policy Sandra De Anda<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan also rarely returns a call from reporters seeking comment on public policy issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n Councilman David Penaloza<\/a> has historically had a mixed record of returning calls for comment \u2013 one that\u2019s improved this last year in the midst of a campaign for state assembly. He is running against his colleague, Councilwoman Jessie Lopez<\/a>, who is consistently responsive to the press.\u00a0<\/p>\n Police Chief Robert Rodgriguez has never responded to my request for an interview on last year\u2019s shooting of non-lethal rounds on peaceful protesters by law enforcement officers and in the same case, Santa Ana PD took a long time even acknowledging receipt of press questions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n One local reporter, Daniel Diaz, who publishes the Santanero newspaper<\/a>, told me last week he is still waiting for city officials to comply with his public records requests on the incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n Good luck getting Santa Ana City Manager Alvaro Nu\u00f1ez<\/a> on the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m still waiting to hear back on a request I submitted years ago to interview him once he was appointed<\/a> after Amezcua and a majority of city council members agreed to settle a $600,000 claim<\/a> by the former city manager claiming she was forced out.\u00a0<\/p>\n City council members also kept the claim letter secret for months until members of the media started threatening lawsuits.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s about when Amezcua went silent in terms of taking my questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n I texted her at both her personal and city phone for comment on this story \u2013 with no response from either, as usual.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest First Amendment flashpoint comes from an effort by Ben Camacho, who reports with Inadvertent<\/a>, to ask Amezcua questions about Flock cameras at last week\u2019s city council and mayoral debate.<\/p>\n Amezcua not only refused to answer questions after the formal debate but she threatened legal action against Camacho for recording his questions and interviewing her in the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a social media post, the mayor said she denied Camacho\u2019s request for an interview and said he didn\u2019t tell Amezcua he was recording her.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a tricky area of civil law, says David Loy, director of the First Amendment Coalition.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a First Amendment right to record matters of public interest outdoors,\u201d Loy said in a Tuesday phone interview. \u201cPolice making an arrest \u2026 the right to record street takeovers and sideshows. That\u2019s the First Amendment \u2013 you do something out in public, whether you\u2019re a police officer or someone else, it\u2019s fair game\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He added that recording indoors can be tricky.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere might not be an absolute constitutional right to record indoors, but California doesn\u2019t categorically prohibit all recording inside,\u201d Loy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n But, he said a debate is \u201cdesigned for public consumption.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Privacy Act may not apply to that situation because it\u2019s either a \u2018public gathering\u2019 or alternatively there\u2019s no reasonable expectation that you won\u2019t be overheard or recorded,\u201d Loy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even more shocking was a video posted by resident and activist Fernando Deveras<\/a> at the same event where Amezcua could be seen in the middle of the debate \u2013 while her opponent was talking about the need for accountable leadership that listens to the residents of the city \u2013 asking organizers to tell Deveras that videotaping was not allowed.\u00a0<\/p>\n At a public debate.<\/p>\n The interaction caught the attention of one of Amezcua\u2019s mayoral challengers \u2013 Dan Shimell<\/a> \u2013 who called out the mayor\u2019s behavior on his own Instagram post<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think it says a lot about our mayor that she would interrupt a debate to get one person to stop recording her speaking on matters of public concern,\u201d said Shimell, an attorney who along with Dwayne Shipp<\/a>, a city commissioner, is challenging Amezcua for mayor this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t get that from me,\u201d said Shimell, ending his comments by noting, \u201cI support a free press.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s a question that should be asked at every public debate this year in Santa Ana.<\/p>\n In fact, I see there\u2019s a debate tonight from 5 pm to 8 pm at Santa Ana College sponsored by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.<\/a><\/p>\n Hopefully these questions get asked \u2013 do you support a free press?\u00a0<\/p>\n Do you think a key part of being an elected leader in a democracy is that you answer press questions on public policy?\u00a0<\/p>\n Norberto Santana, Jr. is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief for Voice of OC. He can be reached at nsantana@voiceofoc.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_6771.jpg\")
From left to right: Mayor Valerie Amezcua, Mayoral Candidates Dan Shimell and Dwayne Shipp at a candidate forum hosted by Com-Link on Sept. 24, 2026 in Santa Ana. Credit: HOSAM ELATTAR, Voice of OC<\/p>\n