Orange County First District Supervisor Andrew Do has run afoul of longtime O.C. campaign finance activist Shirley Grindle, who sent the letter included below to Lisa Bartlett, the Chairwoman of the OC Board of Supervisors, today.
In the letter Grindle questions the use of County money to pay for what amounts to campaign promotion for Do, who is in a heated battle for the First District with Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez.
Here is Grindle’s letter: Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2024
CONTACT: Sam Mahood, (916) 653-6575
Secretary of State Alex Padilla Launches Open Source Campaign Finance Search Engine
SACRAMENTO – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla today launched Power Search, a new open source campaign finance search engine available on the Secretary of State’s website. Power Search allows anyone to swiftly and easily review the source, recipient and amount of state level campaign contributions. It also provides useful summaries of information at the contributor, candidate, ballot measure and campaign committee levels with options for sorting and further exploring the data.
“Both the public and the press should have quick and easy access to campaign finance information,” Secretary Padilla said. “Power Search is the first step in modernizing and upgrading Cal-Access.” Continue reading
The League of Women Voters of Orange County Inter-League Organization is hosting Study Sessions on “Money in Orange County Politics” from 10 a.m. to noon on:
The public is invited. Voting on the League position will be by League members only. Continue reading
Folks in Little Saigon know they have to bribe Janet Nguyen with bags of money
The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating nearly a dozen people for political money laundering in connection to campaign contributions to county Supervisor and state Senate candidate Janet Nguyen according to Thy Vo and Nick Gerda at the Voice of OC.
The FPPC has issued 11 subpoenas to donors who made contributions to the political committee Friends of Supervisor Janet Nguyen between 2011 and 2012, as part of an investigation involving political contributions made in the name of persons other than the true contributor, according to court records, according to the Voice of OC. Continue reading
FORMAL COMPLAINT
30 September 2024
Attn: DA Tony Rackauckas
Re: Michelle Steel Violation of Orange County Campaign Reform
Ordinance Section 1-6-11 – Accepting Contributions in Excess of the Limit
Dear Mr. Rackauckas:
This is a Formal Complaint against Michelle Steel, a candidate for Orange County Supervisor, who has accepted contributions for legal expenses that exceed the current contribution limit of $1,900, in violation of Section 1-6-11 of the Orange County Campaign Reform Ordinance. Mrs. Steel’s opponent is Assemblyman Allan Mansoor.
Mrs. Steel’s ballot designation as a “Taxpayer Advocate” was challenged by Chad Morgan (Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Allan Mansoor). The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff and ordered Mrs. Steel to pay the plaintiff’s legal fees. Mrs. Steel subsequently established a separate committee entitled “Michelle Steel Legal Defense Fund” (ID 1367560) to accept contributions which were then used to pay $l8,000 in legal fees to Chad Morgan and another $l7,000 in legal fees to her attorneys (Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk LLP). A total of $35,000 was contributed to this fund by the following entities: Continue reading
Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State
February 11, 2025
Contact: Nicole Winger, (916) 653-6575
Campaign Finance Initiative Enters Circulation
Campaign Finance. Political Communications. Donor Disclosure. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO - Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced the proponent of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures for his measure.
The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows: Continue reading