March 13, 2020 FPPC Hits Santa Clara County GOP With a $7,000 Fine By Grace Hase The Santa Clara County Republican Party treasurer and a campaign finance consultant reportedly broke state election laws. Read More 3
March 12, 2020 FPPC Slaps San Jose Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco with $3,000 Fine By The Fly The California Fair Political Practices Commission says the D5 rep and treasurer for her 2018 re-election blew past reporting deadlines. Read More 12
March 5, 2020 Legislators’ Charity Use Prompts Calls for Reform—But Not From Assembly Speaker Rendon By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters Anthony Rendon declined to comment on the investigation launched into Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low of Campbell. Read More 0
February 27, 2020 FPPC Opens Investigation into Asm. Evan Low’s Tech Foundation By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters FPPC investigations often take months to a year and can result in politicians being fined thousands of dollars. Read More 3
February 26, 2020 Part III: How the Tech Caucus Courts Silicon Valley with Charity By Guest Columnist The Foundation for California's Technology and Innovation Economy asks for thousands of dollars. Who's paying? It won't say. Read More 2
February 25, 2020 Sunnyvale Accused of Using City Money on Political Mailers By Jennifer Wadsworth California election law prohibits government agencies from spending taxpayer funds and public resources to promote partisan causes. Read More 4
February 25, 2020 Part II: For California Lawmakers, Charity Often Begins at Home By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters It's legal for Assemblyman Rob Bonta's nonprofit to give to his wife's employer. But an author of state political ethics law says it shouldn't be. Read More 1
February 24, 2020 Part I: The New Thing for Calif. Politicians? Sweet Charity By Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters Nonprofits set up by legislators test campaign finance laws even as they underwrite good works by elected officials. Read More 4
February 20, 2020 FPPC Complaint Accuses Santa Clara Officials of Using Public Money for Political Purposes By Silicon Valley Newsroom Former Mayor Pat Mahan is asking a state watchdog agency to investigate whether the city put taxpayer money to political use. Read More 45
October 21, 2019 Santa Clara Co. Supervisor Dave Cortese Accused of Violating State’s Political Reform Act By Grace Hase The D3 supervisor has been accused of illegal electioneering as he makes a bid to replace terming-out state Sen. Jim Beall. Read More 9
August 22, 2019 FPPC Fines Alum Rock Trustee Dolores Marquez-Frausto $7K By Jennifer Wadsworth California’s Fair Political Practices Commission accused the longtime schools trustee of some pretty flagrant violations of state election law. Read More 8
February 13, 2019 Former FEC Chair Ann Ravel Swears Off Corporate Cash in 2020 Bid for State Senate By Jennifer Wadsworth The lifelong public servant and inveterate regulator says she’ll heed her own advice about transparency in her campaign for elected office. Read More 7
February 10, 2019 SJ Reconsiders Recusal Policy Following Councilwoman’s Abstention From Ellis Act Vote By Jennifer Wadsworth City Attorney Rick Doyle said he plans to re-evaluate his interpretation of Fair Political Practices Commission rules regarding recusal. Read More 5
December 11, 2018 Recalled Judge Aaron Persky Asks for Help to Pay Off $135K in Campaign-Related Legal Costs By Jennifer Wadsworth The former jurist is asking for help paying down a small fortune in court-ordered debt incurred from challenging the recall campaign. Read More 33
November 5, 2018 Milpitas Mayor Rich Tran Condemns Malicious Ad Linking Him to Communist Vietnam By Jennifer Wadsworth A mailer painting Rich Tran as a communist backfired by drawing fierce condemnation on whoever sent the offending literature. Read More 15
May 27, 2018 South Bay Lawmakers Request State Audit of Embattled Alum Rock Union School District By Jennifer Wadsworth State lawmakers are pushing for an audit to investigate claims of fraud and self-dealing at the embattled Alum Rock Union School District. Read More 3