Liesemeyer Calls Dismissed Case from 1995 a "Non-Issue"

Newly elected Menifee City Council member Matt Liesemeyer today acknowledged a felony arson conviction from 1995 and described it as "a non-issue" case, which was dismissed 10 years ago in restoring his rights as a registered voter and a legal candidate for public office.

Liesemeyer said his statements in an interview with Menifee 24/7 were in response to comments made on social media sites and in anonymous fliers over the weekend, referring to what he called "half truths" about the incident. Comments critical of Liesemeyer were still being posted on social media today, the day after he defeated incumbent Tom Fuhrman and two others for the District 2 City Council seat.

Riverside County court documents show the conviction on a felony arson charge of Liesemeyer in 1995, one month after his 18th birthday. Restitution was paid and no jail time was served. Liesemeyer said the charge was filed after he set a fire in an open field. He said the anonymous postings distributed this weekend don't refer to later court proceedings that restored his voting rights.

In 2004, Liesemeyer applied for and was granted a dismissal of the case. According to court records, Liesemeyer's conviction was set aside and the case was dismissed.

The certification process following Liesemeyer's application to run for city council showed that he is a registered voter and was eligible to run for office.

In a prepared statement, Liesemeyer today said he has taken responsibility for his actions and that the incident has not been an issue in the years since.

"This happened years ago when I was a teenager," he said. "I was immature and rebellious at that particular time of my life, much like many teenagers. I realize that it was very stupid and I paid for my mistake.

"This event in my life caused me to realize that you must be responsible for your actions and has caused me to look at my decisions differently. I look at them with what I call cause and effect. This means for every decision, I look at what it will cause those around me and what effect will it have on their lives. Although this was a negative event in my life, it has produced a positive outcome on how I view things I must do.

"I paid for the damage caused by my actions and my record has been cleared."

Liesemeyer said he was not required to disclose the facts of a dismissed case prior to the election and that his status as a registered voter was proof that he had no felony counts that would keep him from being eligible to hold office.

"I knew this was probably going to come up, but I'm not afraid of it," he said. "Why didn't I disclose it before the election? It's a non-issue. It happened in my youth and it was dismissed years ago. I believe I will be a great councilman for this city."

Once the final absentee ballots are counted and the election results are declared official, Liesemeyer will be sworn into office at the Menifee City Council meeting on Dec. 3.