Supervisors Bash Bredefeld Over Reedley Lab. He Responds.

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors did not take too kindly to Garry Bredefeld.

Last week, the Fresno city councilman and supervisorial candidate publicly chastised the supervisors for keeping silent about the discovery of an illegal bio lab in Reedley with ties to China.

At Tuesday’s supervisors’ meeting, the board heard an update on the lab from Reedley and county officials. They also took the time to respond to Bredefeld’s accusations.

Supervisor Brian Pacheco said he did not become aware of the Reedley lab until July 27. He demanded an apology for what he said were Bredefeld’s inaccuracies. He even gave out his office phone number and work address.

“He has a history of self-promotion over the facts. And that’s what this was all about,” Pacheco said. “You got to love when it’s an election year and these kind of things happen.”

Buddy Mendes compared Bredefeld to Sen. Joe McCarthy and his communist accusations of the 1950s.

“This is the same tactics. These are dangerous tactics. These are tactics that, you know, people need to get together and say, hey, you know, that’s not right. You’re wrong,” Mendes said.

Supervisor Steve Brandau, whose re-election bid faces a challenge from Bredefeld, doubts the hearing would change minds.

“I don’t believe it will deter for one minute those who are politically motivated and the sycophants that follow them,” Brandau said.

Bredefeld Responds

It didn’t take long for Bredefeld to respond with a statement sent to Politics 101.

“Since at least March, the Board of Supervisors hid information from the public that a ‘Wuhan-type’ Chinese biological lab in Reedley was involved in injecting mice to ‘catch and carry COVID-19’ along with dangerous infectious agents such as measles, rubella, chlamydia, pneumonia and that medical waste was disposed of improperly and likely now in the landfill.

“As of last week, they continued to defend hiding this information from the public until I called them out and said the public had and has a right to know this information. Now Brian Pacheco wants an apology from me but, in reality, the Board of Supervisors owes the people of Fresno County an apology.

“Buddy Mendes compares me to Joe McCarthy which is an idiotic comparison and reflects his typical moronic comments.

“Steve Brandau calls those who support me wanting transparency from the County ‘sychophants’ which is an attack on his very own constituents who don’t want to be lied to and want information about a dangerous Chinese lab in their own community.

“The Board of Supervisors blames the FBI and everyone else for not telling the public. They insult the intelligence of their own constituents and try to blame everyone else for their failures but themselves. They’re disgraceful and we will continue to hold them accountable for their incompetence and lack of transparency,” Bredefeld said.

Bredefeld Touts Poll Results

Bredefeld released a poll on Tuesday that indicates he is in the lead in the March 5 election against Brandau.

Results from the Bredefeld-paid-for-poll show him with a 23-point lead among all voters and a 38-point advantage among likely Republican voters.

Fresno County Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos is also running for the seat but was not factored into the poll.

Campaign finance filings show that Bredefeld paid his pollster, Trailhead Strategic Communications LLC, more than $20,000.

Brandau did not respond to GV Wire’s request for comment.

Maxwell Buys New Home

Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell announced on social media that he and partner Fernanda Santiago purchased a three-bedroom, 1,447-square-foot home. The residence is within Maxwell’s current Council District 4, and also the new boundaries that take effect with the 2024 election.

Maxwell and Santiago worked with real estate agent Jacqueline Lyday — a member of the city’s planning commission.

Fresno City Councilman Tyler Maxwell (right) and his partner Fernanda Santiago show off their new home. (Facebook)

Toni Atkins in Town

Toni Atkins

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins will be in Fresno on Friday night, the keynote speaker at the National Women’s Political Caucus dinner.

Atkins, D-San Diego, will be honored along with new SCCCD trustee Destiny Rodriguez, Fresno County EDC executive director Lee Ann Eager, and Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula.

The dinner at Pardini’s in northwest Fresno starts at 5:30p. Tickets are $150 at the door or with a discount at this link.