Willie – The Man, the Myth and the Era, Conspiracy and The Sting

"Willie – The Man, the Myth and the Era," "Conspiracy" and "The Sting" involve the “Gang of Five” and the FBI sting, both of which occurred in 1988.

In early spring, a group of five conservative Democrats, Gary Condit, Steve Peace, Charles Calderon, Rusty Areias and Gerald Eaves, decided to advance an agenda by voting with the thirty-six Republicans on key issues in "Conspiracy." The 36 plus the 5 created a majority vote, and so these 5 were able to, with a united Republican voting bloc, challenge powerful Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and make an attempt to reform the speakership. Yet they were up against arguably the most clever politician in California’s history, and he was not about to give up without a fight.

"The Sting" is a story of ambition and betrayal. Pat Nolan, the Republican leader and the friend of Willie Brown, went to the FBI in 1985 and accused the Assembly Speaker of corruption, suggesting that the agency should investigate. In 1988, the FBI finally raided the offices of the California State Legislature, and the results were surprising.

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