Venezia: Searching for the shadow government of Newport Beach

Are you a believer in “cryptocracy”? Shadow governments wielding true executive power? The Illuminati, perhaps?

It all certainly makes for intriguing plot lines, but the concept actually finds its roots in history. The Illuminati secret society was founded in 1776 “to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them.”

Modern-day conspiracy theorists believe factions still exist, pulling strings and masterminding control of world affairs by planting agents in government and corporations.

The belief is so widespread that there’s even a new comic book, published in June by Dark Horse Comics, called “Cryptocracy.” It’s kind of “The X-Files” meets Marvel’s A.I.M, or Advanced Idea Mechanics, an organization of scientists dedicated overthrowing governments by technological means.

As a sci-fi comic book fan, I appreciate a good shadow-government conspiracy tale, but it did take me by surprise when I discovered there are some in Newport Beach who truly believe the strings of their city government are being pulled by outside forces.

As a columnist, I give readers an insight not only into the subjects I write about but also my personal experiences with them. Personally, it’s been a little weird, with conspiracy theories literally landing at my front door.

Take the letter I received in my mailbox recently from someone dubbed “PRANXIE.” It had no return address. The letter contained a drawing depicting a rather ominous-looking puppet master holding the strings of four marionettes labeled “Team Newport.”

The caption read, “Dance, My Lovelies, Dance.”

The simplistic hand drawing was creepy, as it implied someone is literally pulling the strings of the City Council.

But it didn’t stop there. Soon enough, emails from “Whoo Dat” started arriving. I have no idea who that person is. Whoo Dat’s emails included tidbits on certain candidates.

Apparently wicked computer skills keep “Whoo Dat” anonymous and a busy investigative beaver. He or she even read a recent column of mine and provided an answer to a question I had posed to city officials that they wouldn’t answer.

“Publius,” the next Deep Throat-like source to pop up, recently sent me a 17-page document outlining recent behind-the-scenes history of Newport government, from the inception of the concept of a “City Hall in the park” to the building of the Civic Center, from the fire ring and dock tax controversies to the political maneuvering to elect Team Newport. Publius even refers to some of my previous columns.

I’ve covered many of the issues Publius discusses, and I too have watched as political spin changed the narrative of Newport’s government history since 2014. Whoever this person is, he or she is a history buff with a sense of humor.

The pseudonym Publius was used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay in the Federalist Papers in homage to Publius Valerius Poplicola’s role in establishing the Roman Republic.

Newport’s Publius certainly holds a bias that recent past councils had it right and that this one, dominated by Team Newport, is off the rails.

But politics is never that cut and dry.

And Publius, like Whoo Dat, isn’t a fan of the whole “team” concept.

But the concept of a political slate isn’t new, as Team Newport political consultant Dave Ellis and I discussed recently at Skosh Monahan’s.

Ellis said he has always packaged clients, and it’s a common practice, not only in Newport.

Remember the “Dream Team,” dubbed by then-Mayor Ed Selich for his co-council members?

Ellis has run successful campaigns to elect Keith Curry, Leslie Daigle, Mike Henn, Steve Rosansky and others to the council, going way back.

Can you really blame a guy for being good at his job? To his credit, candidates keep hiring Ellis because voters keep buying who he’s selling.

All this cloak-and-dagger of anonymous conspiracy theorists is certainly entertaining, but they’d have far more credibility if they too stepped out of the shadows.

And who really is the puppet master of Newport? A consultant? A wealthy donor? A Political Action Committee? All or none of the above?

If there’s a puppet master out there pulling the strings of power in Newport, voters put this entity in place, no one else.

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BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at [email protected].