Sen. Migden fined $350,000 for campaign violations

[AlCzervik]

By Judy Lin -
Published 1:21 pm PDT Tuesday, March 18, 2008

State regulators have slapped state Sen. Carole Migden and her managers with a $350,000 fine for 89 campaign spending and disclosure violations between 2003 and 2007, including illegal personal use of campaign funds.

The state's Fair Political Practices Commission on Tuesday released details of the San Francisco Democrat's transgressions, which also included misrepresenting spending, soliciting donations prior to establishing campaign accounts, and failure to adequately disclose contributions and expenses.

The fines come as Migden is locked in a tough re-election battle, facing two fellow Democrats in the June 3 primary, Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco and former Assemblyman Joe Nation of San Rafael.

The violations span Migden's time in the Senate and before that, the Assembly and Board of Equalization. Roger Sanders, who was Migden's treasurer, and Sanders' assistant, Eric Potashner, were also named in the fine.

All three have agreed to the fines, which the commission will consider in emergency session Thursday.

The 35-page FPPC report on the fines said Migden on eight occasions between 2005 and last June spent a total of $16,317 in campaign funds that "conferred a substantial personal benefit" to her without having a reasonable "political, legislative or governmental purpose." The report did not disclose how the money was spent.

Under the law, the FPPC could have fined Migden $445,000 for the 89 counts, but she, Sanders and Potashner stipulated to the $350,000 fine.

Migden and the FPPC have clashed before.

Before the latest violations, Migden had been fined $110,600 by the FPPC for campaign violations.

Recently, the FPPC ruled that can't spend $647,000 in political contributions she raised before being elected to the Senate due to questionable disclosures. Chairman Ross Johnson said Migden has already illegally spent $400,000.

Leno, who initiated an FPPC complaint, accused the incumbent of charging $397,000 in political expenses without disclosing who was initially paid and for what, as required by campaign finance laws. He also objected to the transfer of funds between her campaign committees.

Migden fought back, filing a lawsuit against the FPPC. She said she should be entitled to use the money for her current campaign because the mistakes stemmed from the use of volunteer bookkeepers unfamiliar with all of the state's finance reporting requirements.

http://www.sacbee.com/111/v-print/story/795243.html

[ronnykmarshall]

1. That should shake the race up even more.

I was suprised to hear that Joe Alioto-V dropped out.

[Xardoni]

2. big fine

That's gonna hurt.