Andy Ramirez, A Biography

Andy Ramirez

Andrew "Andy" Ramirez is the founder and president of the 501c3 non-profit Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council, which he founded in 2008 as a follow-up to his original non-profit organization Friends of the Border Patrol. FOBP was initially created to support the Border Patrol and their agents, while improving the quality of life for border residents.

As FOBP's role expanded over the years to include all law enforcement officers, LEOAC became the next evolution in law enforcement advocacy. Andy continues to focus on improving national security at and between the ports of entry as well as along our coastlines, including Puerto Rico. He is a recognized expert on Customs and Border Protection.

Andy is a trusted conduit of info between Congressional leaders and the front lines, including border sheriffs. He has extensive law enforcement contacts across America. The media has extensively reported Andy's discoveries of border corruption, security compromises, and inaccurate information by DHS, as well as the trumping up of charges against officers doing their jobs. His field investigations have led to him testifying before Congressional Committees as an expert witness on border security, as well as providing briefings to key leaders in Washington. Andy's work has led to a number of Congressional bills addressing border security policies that will help America's law enforcement officers by enhancing enforcement of our laws and removing the obstructionist policies and red-tape hindering them.

For his work exposing the DHS/DOJ War on Law Enforcement, Andy became known as the "Defender of Border Patrol Agents", though this evolved to include all law enforcement officers for his championing the defense of numerous officers that are unjustly prosecuted, terminated, and persecuted for doing their jobs, expecially whistleblowers. Issues discovered included suppression of evidence, abuse of power, suborning of perjury, ignoring Supreme Court rulings, illegal criminal alien violaters who broke laws and were protected by DOJ/DHS during prosecutions of agents/officers. Some of the cases include Customs Officers Rhodes, and Israel, as well as Border Patrol Agents Compean, Ramos, and Sipe, with many others Andy has assisted behind the scenes. Andy has become an expert on criminal and administrative cases where agencies trump up charges against officers to cover their own incompetence, as well as whistleblowers, and victims of various forms of abuse.

Due to his accomplished work, Andy joined the Liberty News Network as their National Correspondent in October 2010. Given his many appearances on tv and radio over the years it should come as no surprise that Andy's media roots began when he was a college student taking classes in broadcast journalism. Note: Visit LibertyNewsNetwork.tv for Andy's continuing news reports as they are aired. He's also reporting for LNN's sister publication, The New American Magazine.

Andy authored a comprehensive report titled "Unjustifiable & Impeachable, The FOBP Report on DHS, DOJ, and the Courts", which was released on Veterans Day, 2008. It is the follow-up to the previously issued reports by FOBP addressing the the War on Law Enforcement and the 2008 National Conference. It is the culmination of five years of active field investigations.

The January 2009 Presidential Commutation and prison release of former Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean would not have happened without Andy's spearheading a national movement after formally beginning an investigation of their case in March 2006 merely two weeks after their trial concluded with both having been convicted in El Paso, TX. That case was confined to El Paso and unknown outside until Andy began investigating this "miscarriage of Justice". When Andy consulted with trusted friends and advisors everyone was unanimous in suggesting Andy not take on the case due to the type of charges that led to the conviction. Andy was talking with reporters and legislative contacts from around the nation who all ignored the case until August 2006 when the Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) published a story, which was then covered by CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Once the the story was finally able to reach the rest of America others saw what I knew for months, justice had not prevailed and something smelled very wrong. A prosecution is not supposed to raise questions, but this one and others did.

Though others have received the credit, Andy personally spearheaded the nationwide drive after having pledged the following goals on the case: new appellate counsels, financial relief, Congressional hearings, media coverage outside El Paso, and popular American support, all of which were met. In fact, Andy utilized his appearances as an expert witness on border security before Congressional Committees to testify about Ramos and Compean’s case.

Andy has appeared extensively as a frequent guest on national news programs including CNN's Lou Dobbs, FNC's Fox & Friends, Neil Cavuto, and Hannity & Colmes. He has also been a featured guest on syndicated programs such as Michael Reagan, G. Gordon Liddy, Laura Ingraham, as well as local tv news channels and TalkRadio shows in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, DC.

Prior to his national security work, Andy worked to eliminate expenses for Multiple Sclerosis patients' costly medications, while reassessing qualifications for disability and coverage for the disabled. In 2001, ANDY helped cut red tape for expensive medications, and as a result, MS Patients in L.A. County now have access to their essential medications without having to wait for state patient benefit coverage approval or denial. ANDY himself was diagnosed with MS in 1990, and forced to retire from semi-pro ice hockey, where he was a goalie.

Andy Ramirez was the Democrat Nominee for CA State Assembly, 60th District in 1994 and 1995, feuding with Speaker Willie Brown before re-registering after the election. ANDY built an excellent record as a leader for political accountability, less government, perk reduction, budget reforms, and preservation of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Over the past decade, Andy Ramirez has testified before the California Legislature on many types of legislation though in recent years primarily working to defeat Sen. Gil Cedillo's driver's license for illegal aliens bills (SB-1160, AB-2895, and SB-60). In 2005, Andy was part of a delegation that successfully lobbied Governor Schwarzenegger, which resulted in his vetoing 2005's SB-60, and assisted California border residents with wrong-way drivers.

Andy remains dedicated to reforming the California Legislature, State Budget Process, and bringing accountability to California Politics. In late-1997, Andy authored the ballot measure, The California Public Accountability (or CALPAC) Initiative. This measure was the initiative version of "The California Legislative Reform Act of 1996", introduced as SCA 31 in the Senate by then Senator Ray Haynes. These measures sought to make CA's State Government accountable to taxpayers and would have saved millions of dollars annually.

Athletics were a key part of Andy's teenage years having participated in numerous sports including earning High School Varsity letters in Track as well as Football. He was also selected to a few baseball all-star teams as a first baseman. However, his biggest accolades were in music having played Tuba (primarily) and Sax (picked up late in high school). During Andy's Senior High School Year, the marching band was named the California Class "A" State Champion Field Tournament Band for 1985-86 marching season.

Andy attended Cal Poly Pomona, and Mt. San Antonio College, where he studied psychology, political science, and minored in broadcast communications. However, his degree comes from the school of hard knocks after 20+ years of battling the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis.

Andy Ramirez, a proud father of two children, Gracie (age 7), and Garrett (4 months), resides in Southern California, and has founded two successful 501c3 non-profit organizations.

Visit AdvocatesCouncil.us for more about Andy's work as a law enforcement advocate.