[Editor’s Note: This story about the seamier side of a principal in the Sterling scandal was relayed to us by Basil Kimbrew (bkimbrew111@yahoo.com), leader of California Friends of the African American Caucus.]
[img]2568|right|Leon Jenkins||no_popup[/img]Dateline Detroit — Leon Jenkins, the Los Angeles branch NAACP president who presented Clippers owner Donald Sterling with a Lifetime Achievement award among other commendations, lived, worked and won notoriety in Detroit.
Mr. Jenkins was a 36th District Court judge between 1984 and 1987. During that time, he was caught lying about his residency to get lower auto insurance rates, fixed tickets and accepted other bribes, according to the California Bar Journal. He was also observed on FBI surveillance taking money.
In 1991, the Michigan State Bar Review said Mr. Jenkins “sold the public trust.” He was disbarred in Michigan, and eventually, in California. He was removed from the bench by the Michigan Supreme Court.
The State Bar Review found Mr. Jenkins: “Systematically and routinely sold his office and his public trust, . . . committed wholesale violations of the most elementary canons of judicial conduct, and brought grave dishonor upon this state's judiciary.”
The Los Angeles NAACP fell under criticism because of its role in planning to present Mr. Sterling later this month with his second lifetime achievement award in five years.
Mr. Sterling has had more than one sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed against him, including a 2009 federal housing lawsuit where the U.S. government accused him of refusing to rent to blacks and Latinos. He settled that lawsuit for $2.73 million.
Mr. Sterling received the NAACP Lifetime Achievement award that same year.
Mr. Jenkins, who says he has known Mr. Sterling for almost 20 years, defended his organization's plans to honor the bigoted NBA owner by saying he has a record of contributing to minority organizations.
“Mr. Sterling's organization, on a consistent basis, has brought in numerous minorities and inner city kids to games,” Mr. Jenkins told the Los Angeles press. “Almost every game, there is a section where there are young people. He has also, in the years we looked at, contributed to a lot of minority charities, including the NAACP.”
Mr. Jenkins said Mr. Sterling's organization gave more money to the minority community than other Los Angeles sports franchises. He declined to say how much Mr. Sterling recently has given to the organization. He described the amount as “insignificant.”
Mr. Jenkins, who called Mr. Sterling's comments “devastating,” says the civil rights organization would return the money and withhold the award Mr. Sterling had been scheduled to receivein two weeks.
Mr. Jenkins graduated Wayne State University Law School and was admitted to practice in 1979. In 1984, he was appointed by Gov. James Blanchard to the 36th District Court.
Mr. Jenkins moved to California in 1990 and tried to keep his California law license, stating his community service, which included pro bono work and his efforts with the local NAACP, should allow him to continue to work as a lawyer. He was denied and lost the license in 2001.
In media reports, Mr. Jenkins has said he would forgive Mr. Sterling.
The Michigan Citizen, a 35-year-old broadsheet weekly for the black community of Detroit, may be contacted at www.michigancitizen.com.
