Ron Calderon

Ronald Calderon
Ronald Calderon
Born	August 12, 1957 (age 69); Montebello, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, manufacturing manager, mortgage banker, real estate agent
Years active	2002–2014 (California State Legislature)
Known for	Former Democratic member of the California State Senate; bribery charges involving Michael Drobot

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Ron Calderon, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Ronald Steven Calderon (born August 12, 1957, in Montebello, California) is a former Democratic member of the California State Senate who represented the 30th District. Calderon is notably associated with bribery charges involving Michael Drobot.

Early life

Born in Montebello, California, Calderon completed his secondary education at Montebello High School.

Education

In 1980, Calderon obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA, followed by a law degree from the Western State University of Law.

Career

Before entering politics, Calderon held positions as a manufacturing manager, mortgage banker, and real estate agent.

His political journey started as chief of staff for Ed Chavez. He is part of a family legacy in California politics, being the second Calderon brother to serve in the State Senate and the third to hold office in the state legislature, alongside siblings Charles and Tom Calderon.

California Assembly

Following the 2002 redistricting, Calderon sought the Assembly seat vacated by his brother Tom. He secured the Democratic nomination with 46% and won the general election with 63%. Re-election followed in 2004 with 62%, after which he stepped down in 2006 to pursue a State Senate seat. His brother Charles succeeded him in the Assembly.

During his tenure, Calderon chaired the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee and was appointed Assistant Majority Leader.

California Senate

Calderon served as the senator for California’s 30th District, encompassing several cities within Los Angeles County.

In 2006, he narrowly defeated Rudy Bermúdez in the Democratic primary with 50.4% and won the general election with 71%. He was re-elected in 2010 with 69%. Due to term limits, he was ineligible for re-election in 2014 and was succeeded by Tony Mendoza.

He led the Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee and spearheaded initiatives on reforming term limits, redistricting processes, and advancing California’s presidential primary to February. Calderon also chaired the Select Committee on International Business Trade and served on committees including Appropriations and Energy, Utilities and Communications. Additionally, he contributed as a member of the California Film Commission, supporting the film industry within the state.

2012 congressional election

In August 2011, Calderon declared his intention to run for Congress in the newly drawn California's 38th congressional district, challenging incumbent Democrat Linda Sánchez during the primary. Approximately 70% of this new district overlapped with his State Senate constituency. He withdrew from this race in January 2012.

Corruption case

On June 4, 2013, federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a raid on Calderon's offices at the California State Capitol amid allegations of criminal misconduct.

An FBI affidavit released on October 30, 2013, accused Calderon of accepting bribes totaling about $88,000 from Southern California hospital executive Michael Drobot to sway legislation concerning workers' compensation for an expensive surgical treatment. The probe also involved an undercover FBI agent acting as a film studio proprietor. On November 12, 2013, Calderon was stripped of his committee roles pending investigation.

Following an indictment by a federal grand jury, Calderon agreed to surrender on February 21, 2014. He entered a not guilty plea to 24 counts including wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion. His trial was scheduled for April 22, 2014. Released on a $50,000 bond, he faced potential sentences totaling up to 396 years if found guilty on all charges. The California State Senate gave him until March 3 to either resign or take a leave; he opted for leave and remained absent through the remainder of the session before term limits ended his tenure.

On June 13, 2016, prosecutors announced that Calderon would plead guilty to mail fraud; his brother Tom Calderon had pled guilty to money laundering one week prior.

In October 2016, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder sentenced him to a federal prison term of 42 months along with 150 hours of community service. He began serving at Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan in January 2017 and was released after completing two years in January 2019. His attorney Mark Geragos successfully petitioned for early release under the provisions of the Second Chance Act of 2007, shortening his sentence by approximately one year.

Personal life

Calderon wed Ana in 1982. Together, they have two children named Jessica and Zachary. Their family home is located in Montebello, California.

External links