Kamala Close With Dem Who Tried To Make Child Porn Possession A Non-Felony

Vice President Kamala Harris has close ties with a Democrat who tried to make child pornography possession a non-felony in California, the Daily Caller has learned.

Mark Leno, a Democrat politician who served in the California State Senate until November 2016 and is someone Harris has called a “dear friend,” authored a piece of legislation that would have allowed pedophiles to possess up to 99 items depicting child pornography before they could be charged with a felony, according to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

At the time, McCarthy was serving as the California Assembly Republican leader and said Assembly Bill 50 as originally written would have allowed the possession of up to 99 items of child pornography before the crime could be prosecuted as a felony. A compact disc (CD) with 1,000 images on it would have counted as one item, according to McCarthy.

The legislation received pushback even from Democrats. Political analyst and veteran Democrat Pat Caddell told the Los Angeles Daily News: “What the Democrats did on AB 50 was insane, insane – 100 exemptions for child porn? They had to figure out this was not good? If this seeps into voters’ minds, my God.’”

An op-ed in the Los Angeles Daily News also stated: “Early on, AB 50 was filled with loopholes that would make your skin crawl. For instance, Leno provided an ‘exemption’ from felony charges if a suspect was caught with less than 100 pieces of child pornography. In a creepy all-time low, Assembly Democrats voted for Leno’s plan to go soft on child porn.”

Leno and Harris have maintained a close relationship for over two decades, according to both of their social media posts and old news articles.

In 2003, Leno campaigned with Harris during her run for San Francisco District Attorney.

“With less name recognition than Hallinan and Fazio, Harris is taking her message to the streets. Saturday, she campaigned through the Castro with queer leaders including Assemblyman Mark Leno, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club co-chair Theresa Sparks, Hank Wilson and Martha Knutzen,” The San Fransisco Examiner wrote in 2003.

Leno also appeared to spend the 2003 election night having dinner with Harris.

“On election night, Matthew and Kamala and I believe [then state Assemblymember] Mark Leno and a couple of other people went to dinner, and Kamala was like, ‘Come to dinner,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m going to sit here with Shyamala [and her friend], and we’re going to get the [election results], we’re going to hang out,’” an interview published in KQED states.

When Leno announced his departure from the California Legislature as a state senator in 2016, Harris praised his “committed service” and his work to “secure a better future for California’s most vulnerable children,” thanking him for his “incredible leadership.” She also posted a photo of the two of them to her Twitter.

Thank you, @MarkLeno, for 14 years of passionate & collaborative service in #CALeg! 📷 via @fogcityjournal pic.twitter.com/FtPgY648y2

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 1, 2016

Earlier in 2016, she tweeted that she was “proud to stand” with Leno and others at a LGBT Caucus event.

I was proud to stand with @RichGordon24, @Evan_Low, @SpeakerPerez, & @MarkLeno during the #LGBT Caucus at # CADEM16 pic.twitter.com/tPWBEAYJen

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 27, 2016

In 2018, Leno tweeted out a photo of him and Harris, saying it was “Nice to catch up with my great supporter and dear friend of two decades @KamalaHarris at tonight’s Labor Council COPE Dinner!”

Nice to catch up with my great supporter and dear friend of two decades @KamalaHarris at tonight’s Labor Council COPE Dinner! pic.twitter.com/pWRYgrZo2K

— Mark Leno (@MarkLeno) May 3, 2018

The Daily Caller contacted Harris’s campaign about her relationship with Leno and if she supported Assembly Bill 50 as originally written, to which they did not immediately respond.