Yesterday Miss California Pageant co-directors Shanna Moakler and Keith Lewis held a compelling press conference outlining the ways that Miss USA runner up Carrie Prejean has violated her contract. They don’t have the deciding vote as to whether Carrie will be stripped of her crown, and were just airing their grievances along with giving a public recommendation to pageant owner Donald Trump, who will make his ruling known today at 11am EST.

The press conference was full of drama, with Lewis impassionately discussing the reasons that Carrie should no longer represent the organization. He was pissed off and you could tell they wanted to go on record and pressure Trump to take her title away. Moakler was haughty, talking about her qualifications in her introduction. She declared “I am now Shanna Moakler, ex-beauty queen, California director, actress, mom and most of all my own person.” It was the most entertaining press conference I’ve ever seen and there was a lot of feeling and frustration behind the statements.

It all boils down to the way that Prejean repeatedly and publicly violated the rules, including failing to disclose the fact that she had posed for semi-clothed photos, and especially becoming a spokesperson for an anti-gay marriage association. The Miss California Pageant contract stipulates that title holders must not represent other organizations without permission:

On admitting they paid for her boob job
Lewis: We did not leak personal medical information. We instead did not lie when we were asked a direct question, and accepted our role, even if it caused some people to criticize.

On the semi-clothed photos, which Carrie did not discuss with Pageant directors
Lewis: We saw the photo in question, and follow-up photo, that Carrie has claimed to not authentic [sic], at the very same time as the public. As a matter-of-fact, up until now, we have just been riding along pretty much a passenger on this runaway train, but as of today, that ends.

On the nude photo: severity of nudity is not the issue
Moakler: When you decide to enter Miss California USA you are given a document that asks for full disclosure. It does not say that any disclosed violation will result in your ineligibility. In contrast, it says “tell us, and we will evaluate the situation before determining eligibility.” For us, the severity of nudity in the one photo Carrie Prejean has admitted is her is not the issue. The fact that she entered a pageant and admitted it, is… She in fact entered the contest under false pretense.

On Prejean’s public endorsement of a same-sex marriage organization
Moakler: No one knows the difference between the comments, endorsements and activities of Carrie Prejean from those of the Miss California USA Title. That is why her contract forbids such activities without our written consent. In spite of that, she has recorded a telemarketing message that is calling for donations and signatures to protect marriage. Regardless we have never asked her to apologize or recant her opinions or her beliefs.

On Prejean shirking her responsibilities and failing to contact them
Moakler: Accepting the title comes with the responsibility to represent everyone in her state, not just those who share her opinion. It comes with an obligation to fulfill the duties of the job and to the people who paid to help get her ready for Miss USA at great expense and sacrifice. You have a responsibility to adhere to the regulations you agreed to when you accepted all the prizes, support and notoriety of the title.

Carrie has been unavailable to us, to her sponsors and to her responsibilities of Miss California USA because of her commitment to outside organizations.

[Transcribed from Press Conference with Miss California Pageant co-directors given 5/11/09, video above]

Then Lewis chimed in again, it’s at about 3:30 into the video above, and had a stern message for the organizations that courted Prejean’s public endorsement, as if they lured her into becoming a spokeswoman against same sex marriage without her full knowledge of the implications. He said “shame” multiple times, scorning them in a frustrated tone:

Lewis: Shame for taking this young woman and exploiting her to further your own agenda… Shame for doing it all the while knowing that you placed her in a position where she stood to possibly lose her crown, not for her beliefs… but for the breach of contract you so willingly encouraged. How sad that your message is so isolating that you reach out and grab any glimmer of an ally with no proper investigation or preparation even if it means destroying a young woman for your own good.

[Transcribed from Press Conference with Miss California Pageant co-directors given 5/11/09, video above]

Lewis got personal then, and called out the other organization Carrie represents, The Insitute for Marriage, saying that director Maggie Gallagher pocketed 42% of all donations given to the organization in 2007 but that “you still have the nerve to say that Mr. Trump is trying to silence free speech by stopping your NOM commercial. Use of copyrighted footage from Miss USA, that you’re using as a fundraising tool? Sounds like someone is looking for a free ride… It’s time for you to find someplace new to recruit your henchmen.”

A “Beauty of California ambassador” was named in preparation to succeed Prejean
A new “Beauty of California ambassador,” Miss California runner-up Tami Farrel was named. This was undoubtedly a nudge to Trump to let him know that another, less controversial contestant is ready to step in as Prejean’s successor, just in case he decides to take Prejean’s crown. Yesterday it was widely anticipated that he would side in Prejean’s favor, as he made positive statements about her and made it seem like her activities weren’t a big deal. He also let Miss USA Tara Conner keep her crown after a 2006 scandal in which she failed a drug test and was photographed kissing Miss Teen USA. If Trump lets Prejean keep her title now we’ll know for sure that he’s going against the wishes of the Miss California Pageant directors.

This woman has received more publicity for her statements than any beauty contestant in recent history and it doesn’t seem like it will affect her career much if they take away her crown. She wants to be an ambassador for opposite marriage, and plenty of groups are willing to embrace her with or without the Miss California title.

New topless photos of Prejean from another photoshoot are on TMZ
I wrote this whole article when I found new, nearly full topless photos supposedly of Prejean on TMZ. I’ll spare you a whole separate article about this and we’ll just talk about it here. It doesn’t look like her to me, and while the woman looks similar it’s hard to tell if it’s her.

Her previous photos had her covering her chest and were more on the level of a men’s magazine type of “nudity,” but these new photos, taken pre-breast augmentation, show her in a vest with her top exposed. I don’t think nude photos should disqualify pageant contenders and these aren’t scandalous or anything, but Carrie failed to disclose that any of these pictures existed and then went on to fib about when the last set of photos was taken. She also represented another organization against the terms of her contract with Miss California.

I have no problem with her expressing her opinion on same sex marriage. I think she handled herself well both during the pageant and in her first interview on The Today Show afterwards. I don’t agree with her but feel that she has the right to express her opinion. If she violated her agreement with the pageant, though, she should face the consequences. The co-chairs obviously feel strongly that her title should be revoked, even if Trump may think it’s ok to bend the rules.