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Arena Supporters Quickly Respond As Maloof Lawyers Revealed As Opposition

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Downtown arena supporters are taking the offensive one day after a state complaint revealed the Maloof's attorneys are behind the effort to derail the current arena plans.

Sacramento arena supporters are seizing on a massive political stumble by their opponents.

"People have been coming up to us about the news. So they actually know about it. So they're coming up to see us, 'we want to take our name off that petition,' said Crown Downtown Founder Mike Tavares.

People who signed a petition to put the proposed arena public subsidy to a public vote are now signing up to remove their names.

"They're glad that we're out here and they're disgusted," said Tavares.

The backlash comes after a fair political practice complaint revealed the law firm of a Maloof attorney is funding the effort to derail the current arena deal.

Joe Maloof denied his family's involvement in a phone call Friday afternoon.

"You know we've moved on with our lives. We're going very well. We love the city of Sacramento, wish them all the best. We have nothing but good wishes to Sacramento. We hope they get the arena done and we're going to move on," he said.

The new revelations show a previously hidden, lengthy money trail, which ended with paid arena ballot signature gatherers and began with the Maloofs' Loeb and Loeb attorneys.

Now that campaign to put the arena up to a public vote is in turmoil, with several companies cutting ties -- including Olson Campaigns.

"We took this project in good faith, and have followed every law. We have always expected that those hiring us would comply fully with the law as well -- or take responsibility for any mistakes they made," Olson said in a released statement.

The Fair Political Practices Commission is still looking into the complaint that led to the Maloof attorney ties.

Next they will be using their state agency powers to find out who paid the Maloof attorney to write the previously undisclosed check.

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