SLO County DA ‘remains concerned’ political group may be breaking election law
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office sent a second notice to a group supporting political candidates in the South County, raising concerns again that the committee may have violated election law.
But the South County Coalition said it has been accurately reporting its expenditures and will continue to do so in the future.
On April 22, District Attorney Dan Dow issued an initial letter to the coalition’s treasurer, Dorothy Hines, warning that the committee may have misclassified itself due to filed campaign documents showing it was not acting as a general purpose committee because it seemed to be solely supporting SLO County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding in the District 4 race.
In response, the coalition amended its filings on Monday to show that it is now supporting several other Central Coast candidates both within and outside the South County, including District 2 supervisor candidate Jim Dantona, Assemblymember Gregg Hart, Assemblymember Dawn Addis and Congressman Salud Carbajal.
However, Dow sent a follow-up letter Tuesday saying that his office “remains concerned, and in certain respects is more concerned” that the group appears to be commingling funds for local, state and federal election activity.
“The fact that the committee now asserts support for multiple candidates may bear on one issue previously raised by this office, but it does not answer the separate and serious question whether funds raised and reported through a California committee have been used for federal election activity in a manner that triggers obligations under federal law,” Dow said in the letter.
Local coalition says it is accurately reporting funds
The coalition confirmed to The Tribune that it is using a single California committee account to finance county, state Assembly and federal congressional races — but said it is legally within its rights to do so.
Hines said the group’s funds and expenditures have been accurately reported as required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
As for funds spent on federal candidates, Dow said in the letter that at a certain expenditure threshold, committees must register and report federally if they’re supporting federal candidates.
According to its amended filing, the coalition has spent nearly $650 on voter lists, phone calls, graphic design, printing and postage to support Carbajal’s campaign.
The coalition intends to submit its independent expenditures to the FEC at the end of the quarter this summer.
Hines said in a statement that the “South County Coalition will accurately report funds that are used for a federal election when and how it is required by the Federal Elections Commission.”
Dow sends second notice to South County group
Dow called on the group to keep all evidence and seek election law advice immediately, as well as send written action steps to address any compliance issues to the District Attorney’s Office by 5 p.m. on May 3.
He said that the committee’s amended filings continue to raise “substantial concerns” surrounding possible federal election law violations.
Dow added that per California’s Political Reform Act, those who “knowingly or willfully” violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor and penalized up to $5,000 per violation.
Hines told The Tribune that the coalition will respond to Dow’s letter by completing “the applicable disclosure filings when they are required.”
