By PE News
on July 21, 2010 5:00 AM

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has fined a San Bernardino Community College board member and his campaign treasurer $6,000 for failing to report campaign contributions on time.

The state ethics watchdog agency approved the fine at its May meeting and sent an enforcement letter last month to John Futch, who was elected to the board in 2008, and his treasurer, Fermin Ramirez.

Read the rest of this entry »

Benoit

By PE Politics
on July 19, 2010 2:50 PM

The state’s political watchdog agency has warned Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit over 5,000 mailers initially sent at public expense.

Benoit sent out the mailers April 7 featuring his name, position and photograph, according to the warning letter sent by the state Fair Political Practices Commission. The mailers cost $1,333 and advertised a home-preservation summit.

Read the rest of this entry »

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
San Francisco Chronicle

Monday, July 19, 2010

(07-19) 04:00 PDT Sacramento – –

California currently requires groups that run campaign ads that expressly tell voters how to vote for certain issues or candidates to disclose where they got their money and how it was spent.

But if an ad simply informs the public about an issue – even if that issue has some connection to an upcoming election – the state’s disclosure laws about who is bankrolling the effort are murkier.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lobbyists play huge role in bills
Karen de Sa, San Jose Mercury News
Created: 07/17/2010 07:10:37 AM PDT

Like all newly elected lawmakers, Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes arrived in Sacramento needing two things to ensure his political success: legislative achievements and campaign money.

If he established himself as a political force, the Los Angeles-area Democrat might breeze to re-election in two years and rise up the legislative ranks. And sure enough, there were folks who could help him along – the throng of lobbyists offering bill ideas on behalf of their corporate clients.

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Jesse B. Gill, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/11/2010 02:42:55 PM PDT

The Fair Political Practices Commission is taking its time to review a matter brought to it by City Councilman Mick Gallagher.

Gallagher had requested a determination as to whether his rental of a Redlands home to his son, Ryan, who works for the city as a firefighter, constitutes a conflict of interest.

Read the rest of this entry »

Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
July 7, 2010

MAJ STATE CAPITOL.JPGThe Fair Political Practices Commission plans to create a task force to recommend updates and clarifications to the state’s lengthy and complicated campaign laws, agency Chairman Dan Schnur announced today.

Schnur said the move is intended to ensure the 1974 Political Reform Act can “meet the challenges of the 21st Century” and is clear and accessible for candidates and the public.

Read the rest of this entry »

Published: Thursday, Jul. 1, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 4A

The state political watchdog agency is considering stiffer regulation of independent expenditure committees.

Independent expenditure committees spent nearly $17 million on races for the June 8 primary, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Read the rest of this entry »

PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State

June 29, 2010 | 2:43 pm

The Fair Political Practices Commission has begun an investigation to determine whether Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has accepted thousands of dollars in free tickets to sporting events, awards shows and concerts, was engaging in his “ceremonial role or duty” when he accepted those gifts, officials said Tuesday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lewises late to report donations
Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Created: 06/15/2010 09:05:13 PM PDT

A commission that regulates campaign financing in the state has fined two executives from Upland-based The Lewis Group of Cos.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission fined Richard A. Lewis and David R. Lewis for not filing semiannual campaign statements in a timely manner. The two Upland residents on Thursday each agreed to pay $400 in penalties.

Read the rest of this entry »

Two executives for The Lewis Group of Companies were fined by the State’s political watchdog last week.

The June 10, 2010 agenda for the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) reveals that both Richard A. Lewis and David R. Lewis were each fined $400.00 for failing to timely file semi-annual campaign statements diclosing contributions totaling more than $24,000 combined.

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GnanaDev

www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
June 3rd, 2010 at 10:41 pm

Life must be tough these days for a medical director.  Let’s see, we have the Attorney General’s office investigating Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) for who knows which of the many accusations of patient abuse,  Medi-Cal/Medicare fraud, gifts of public funds, conflicts of interest, and a host of other concerns.   Then we know a formal complaint has been filed with the San Bernardino County Grand Jury.  And a complaint was filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) because ARMC Medical Director Dr.  Dev GnanadDev didn’t consider reporting millions of dollars in real property to be important.  And now we find out there have been at least two more complaints filed.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jeff Stone

By PE Politics
on June 3, 2010 1:15 AM

The state Senate campaign of Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone acknowledged Wednesday that it failed to disclose dozens of donations from mid-March through most of last month.

Richard Temple, a Stone consultant, said the campaign’s accounting firm misunderstood state rules that require, within 90 days of an election, reporting of contributions of $1,000 or more within 24 hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

GnanaDev

www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:26 am

Several weeks ago iePolitics was tipped off to the fact that Dr. Dev GnanaDev, medical director for San Bernardino County’s only county-run hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), owns a number of pieces of real property in San Bernardino County and elsewhere. Because of some of the accusations surrounding at least one piece of said property, which we will detail at a later date, an attempt was made to verify that Dr. GnanaDev properly reported his real estate investments on his Form 700.

Read the rest of this entry »

Schnur

By Torey Van Oot
tvanoot@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Jun. 2, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Dan Schnur as chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission, California’s political watchdog agency.

Schnur, the director of University of Southern California’s Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, is a veteran Republican strategist who served as communications director for former Gov. Pete Wilson and for Sen. John McCain’s 2000 presidential bid.

Read the rest of this entry »

Union money rules

Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/31/2010 09:58:24 PM PDT

Candidates know partnering with big labor can mean free and nearly unlimited manpower for grass-roots political campaigning during election time.

While Republican primary front- runner and billionaire Meg Whitman is spending millions on her gubernatorial campaign, Democratic candidate Jerry Brown is counting on union muscle in his campaign for the governor’s seat.

Read the rest of this entry »

Teachers biggest election spenders
Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/31/2010 10:01:19 PM PDT

Unions can flex serious muscle when it comes to fighting for political agendas as evidenced by the vast amounts of money they spend on influencing state policy.

A report released in March titled “Big Money Talks” revealed 15 public-interest groups spent $1.3 billion toward policy shaping in the past decade, according to the California Fair Political Practices Commission report, “Big Money Talks.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Disclosure reduces campaign fund abuse
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/30/2010 09:56:26 PM PDT

To varying degrees, elected officials routinely use their campaign war chests for lavish trips, fancy meals and luxurious stays at posh destinations.

California law prohibits elected officials from using campaign dollars for personal use. But while a new state law enacted in July 2008 tightened reporting requirements for meals, travel and gifts, some say it is still too little and that more can be done to ensure politicians are not using campaign dollars to live high on the hog.

Read the rest of this entry »

San Bernardino City Attorney Jim Penman donating $500 to District Attorney Mike Ramos’ reelection campaign?

Yes indeed. What a surprise, especially for these two politicos.

Ramos’ latest campaign finance disclosure filed this week shows Penman coughing up the cash.

Read the rest of this entry »

A local San Bernardino Certified Public Accountant probably regrets hooking his wagon to District Attorney Michael Ramos.

CPA Marvin Reiter signed on as Ramos’ official campaign treasurer and now suffers the potential consequences of his decision.

Read the rest of this entry »

www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
May 24th, 2010 at 9:02 am

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both. — Eleanor Roosevelt”

So far in this series we have discussed the District Attorney’s office and the Conflict Panel. There are three other components to justice, or the lack thereof, in San Bernardino County: the Public Defender, the Sheriff’s Department, and the Superior Court bench. Today, we will discuss the office of the Public Defender.

Read the rest of this entry »

San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos is once again under investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) See letter:

Priya Mathur

By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, May. 19, 2010 – 1:36 pm
Last Modified: Wednesday, May. 19, 2010 – 4:34 pm

CalPERS today disciplined one of its board members for missing the deadline to file her state conflict-of-interest form.

Board member Priya Mathur was suspended as chair of the CalPERS health benefits committee til Dec. 1. She also won’t be able to travel to conferences related to her board work. The punishment, which the board approved on a 10-0 vote, includes a public censure.

Read the rest of this entry »

Evidence is surfacing that a major cover-up is in progress at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC).  Allegations surfaced months ago that San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Second District Supervisor Paul Biane and Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales received extensive free medical care at ARMC.  A complaint has been filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) alleging Form 700 violations due to the fact that these supervisors, along with former County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer, received free medical care, which constitutes a gift of public funds, and did not report said gifts as required by law on their Form 700s.

Priya Mathur

By Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times

May 18, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento —

The board of the state’s biggest public employee pension fund might take one of its own members to task Wednesday for repeatedly failing to file required financial disclosure reports on time.

At a special meeting of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System board, fund President Rob Feckner will explain the recommendations on disciplinary action the 13-member board could take against Priya Mathur.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times

May 13, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, already under scrutiny for financial losses and allegations that its investment decisions were compromised by favoritism, may be getting another black eye — this one courtesy of board member Priya Mathur.

At its meeting Thursday, the state Fair Political Practices Commission will consider fining Mathur as much as $5,000 for failing to file her 2008 financial disclosure statement on time. Twice before in recent years she has been fined for not submitting the required statements.

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May 6, 2010 | Chase Davis

California politicians ran afoul of state ethics and campaign finance laws 721 times last year for violations ranging from not reporting gifts from lobbyists to failing to disclose campaign contributions, according to a report released this week by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Of those violations, the vast majority – about four out of every five – were resolved with so-called “warning letters,” which are generally perceived as a slap on the wrist but can prove politically embarrassing, especially since the commission started posting them online last year.

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The Fair Political Practices Commission closed 721 cases, more than double the year before, but only one in six violators were fined.

By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
May 5, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento

The state’s ethics watchdog agency last year found that hundreds of California politicians and bureaucrats had violated campaign finance and conflict of interest laws — and then let most of them off with a slap on the wrist.

Read the rest of this entry »

The State of California Fair Political Practices Commission is schedule to approve the levy of a $6,000 fine against a member of the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees at its next scheduled meeting on May 13, 2010.

In 2008, candidate John Futch and his campaign Treasurer Fermin Ramirez failed to timely file two pre-election campaign statements in accordance with State law.

Read the rest of this entry »

By PE Politics
on April 29, 2010 2:32 PM

The state Fair Political Practices Commission today has started posting statements of economic interest on the agency’s website.

The statements, known as Form 700s, detail sources of income, real estate, gifts and other income. All elected officials must file the public documents every year and are a tool for the public to gauge potential conflicts of interest, the FPPC said in a statement.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devereaux warned, Biane cleared in private-jet ethical probe
April 28, 2010 4:26 PM
Natasha Lindstrom

SAN BERNARDINO • Two top San Bernardino County officials investigated by the state campaign watchdog for possible ethical violations related to a cross-country trip on a private jet will not face any penalties.

The nonpartisan Fair Political Practices Commission has cleared 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane of any violations and issued a warning to County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.

Read the rest of this entry »

Greg Devereaux

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 27, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI and DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise

A state watchdog agency issued San Bernardino County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux a warning letter while finding that Supervisor Paul Biane violated no ethics rules over a private jet trip both accepted from a Rancho Cucamonga developer.

Both men accompanied Ray Crebs, a member of Colonies Partners, on a private flight in September 2008 to West Virginia. Devereaux, who took over as county administrator this February, was Ontario city manager at the time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Records show stake not reported
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/27/2010 08:52:26 PM PDT

Dan Richards, a co-managing partner of Rancho Cucamonga-based developer Colonies Partners LP, failed to report his interest in the company on state public-disclosure forms for 2007 and 2008, records show.

Richards, a commercial real estate broker appointed by the governor to the state Fish and Game Commission in February 2008, has been identified by state and local prosecutors as a co-conspirator in an alleged scheme to defraud San Bernardino County taxpayers by securing a $102 million legal settlement from the county in November 2006.

Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 04/27/2010 07:40:38 PM PDT

San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane and County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux responded Tuesday to findings from a state Fair Political Practices Commission investigation regarding a trip they took to West Virginia.

San Bernardino County prosecutors asked the FPPC on Jan. 11 to look into whether Devereaux and Biane properly reported the September 2008 trip on campaign finance and gift disclosure forms. The two flew on a private jet with Dan Richards, co-managing partner for Rancho Cucamonga-based developer Colonies Partners LP, and Ray Crebs, an investor in Colonies Partners.

The private jet the four flew on belongs to Crebs.

Read the rest of this entry »

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has issued a “No Violation” letter to San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane regarding a 2008 trip to West Virginia.

Biane accompanied then-Ontario City Manager Greg Devereaux and Colonies Partners Dan Richards and Ray Crebs to attend a West Virginia Mountaineers football game.

Devereaux has since been appointed San Bernardino County Administrative Officer.

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The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has issued a “warning” letter to San Bernardino County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux.

The warning letter is a result of a September 2008 trip to West Virginia with Supervisor Paul Biane and Colonies Partners Dan Richards and Ray Crebs.

Read the rest of this entry »

www.iepolitics.com

Written by Administrator
April 26th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos and the treasurer for his re-election committee have been notified by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) of the recently-filed complaint regarding their claim that there were a minimum of 127 credit card purchases under a $100 that did not have to be itemized on their Form 460.  This means that the Commission did not reject the complaint outright but will be investigating it further.

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Ross Johnson, outgoing head of the state Fair Political Practices Commission, calls for sharper sanctions for libel in campaign ads and wants similar spending caps for candidates for statewide office.

By George Skelton Capitol Journal

April 25, 2010

Ross Johnson says if he were “king”— rather than merely the state’s lead campaign watchdog — he’d invoke the political death penalty for any candidates who libeled their opponents.

Yank them off the campaign trail. Or, if they’d already reached office, boot them out.

Read the rest of this entry »

Role with developer goes unreported in state filing
Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/25/2010 06:07:40 PM PDT

Dan Richards, a co-managing partner of Rancho Cucamonga-based developer Colonies Partners LP, failed to report his interest in the company on state public-disclosure forms for 2007 and 2008, records show.

Richards, a renowned commercial real estate broker appointed by the governor to the state Fish and Game Commission in February 2008, has been identified by state and local prosecutors as a co-conspirator in an alleged scheme to defraud San Bernardino County taxpayers by securing a $102 million legal settlement from the county in November 2006.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) complaints against San Bernardino County Second District Supervisor Paul Biane, Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, and former County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer have been resubmitted as it did not appear, based on their response, that the FPPC understood the basis of the first complaint.

The complaint alleges the following:

Read the rest of this entry »

Uffer

Written by Administrator
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:50 pm

On April 19, 2010, I submitted a complaint to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit regarding former County Administrative Office Mark Uffer.

The complaint states:

The undersigned alleges that while employed as the Administrative Officer for the county of San Bernardino, Uffer received thousands of dollars of memorabilia that was gifted to him due to his position as a government official.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Administrator
April 19th, 2010 at 7:43 pm

Before I get into the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and Public Integrity Unit (PIU) complaints filed today, I owe everyone an explanation of the complaint filed last week.  It was filed against San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos alleging possible violation of the $100.00 per year cumulative payment to a single vendor rule, violation of campaign-related expenditure requirements, and misuse of campaign funds.

The complaint reads:

Read the rest of this entry »

Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 14, 2010

Fair Political Practices Commission Chairman Ross Johnson announced today that he will step down April 30.

Johnson said in a statement that the decision to resign was “entirely personal and the result of recently discovered health issues.”

“I believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant in the political process, and I am confident that the good work of the commission will continue,” he said in a statement. “My fellow commissioners and I have worked together in a non-partisan way to interpret and enforce the Political Reform Act and I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past three years.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Administrator
April 13th, 2010 at 5:23 pm

Although I am not going to give details until we know the complaint has been received by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), a new complaint has been sent to the FPPC for investigation.

I have been told that due to the nature of the complaint, the FPPC will contact the Ramos campaign for clarification. We cannot imagine Mikey being able to provide adequate justification for his actions to convince the FPPC not to fine him.

To read entire story, click here.

Chastain

Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/06/2010 07:12:28 PM PDT

COLTON – Mayor Kelly Chastain failed to report rental payments she received for a Sperry Drive home in economic interest forms elected officials must file each year, according to complaints filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission and the county District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.

Colton activist Ron Lawrence has submitted the complaints alleging Chastain didn’t report the payments as income when filing her Form 700 in 2008 and 2009, which requires elected and other public officials disclose the monetary value of gifts they’ve received, investments and other income.

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CAMPAIGNS: Despite new rules, state lawmakers’ expenses often appear unrelated to being elected.

11:15 PM PDT on Sunday, April 4, 2010

By JIM MILLER
Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO – California legislators last year spent more than $1 million in campaign donations on hotels, overseas travel, meals at upscale restaurants and other expenses seemingly unrelated to running for office, according to year-end finance reports filed recently.

California prohibits spending campaign money for personal use. But state law gives lawmakers wide latitude about how they use their campaign contributions, requiring only that the expense be “reasonably related” to a political, legislative or governmental purpose.

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After complaint, Allan abandons club equity membership
March 31, 2010 4:13 PM
Natasha Lindstrom

APPLE VALLEY • A complaint has been filed with the state election watchdog alleging Mayor Peter Allan acted unethically by negotiating the town’s purchase of the Apple Valley Country Club while simultaneously serving on the club’s board of directors.

The complaint was filed Tuesday with the nonpartisan Fair Political Practices Commission, according to the filer, Daniel Seagondollar, an architect in Apple Valley and former candidate for the Town Council.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Administrator
March 30th, 2010 at 11:00 am

FPPC complaints have been filed against San Bernardino County Supervisors Josie Gonzales and Paul Biane as well as former County Administrative Officer Mark Uffer.  The complaints all allege that these three individuals, along with countless other politicians and department managers, have been the recipients of free medical services at the county’s hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), and have failed to report the gifts on their Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700).

Read the rest of this entry »

By Dale Kasler
dkasler@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Mar. 31, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 8B
Last Modified: Wednesday, Mar. 31, 2010 – 8:32 am

A CalPERS board member faces another fine for being late with her annual conflict-of-interest statement.

The proposed $3,000 fine against Priya Mathur comes as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System is being investigated over the activities of placement agents, middlemen who help firms secure investment deals from the pension fund.

Read the rest of this entry »

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, March 29, 2010

The Press-Enterprise

Highland City Councilman Larry McCallon faces a $2,000 fine from the state political watchdog agency for misusing campaign funds.

McCallon used $2,800 from his council campaign account to pay for expenses related to his campaign for the San Bernardino County Republican Central Committee in 2008, the state Fair Political Practices Commission announced Monday.

Read the rest of this entry »

California Watch
A Project of the Center for Investigative Reporting
Money and Politics

March 18, 2010 | Chase Davis

Clarifying the line between free speech and political advertising on the Internet is proving to be a thorny issue for the California Fair Political Practices Commission, which held the first of two planned hearings on the subject yesterday morning.

The commission’s subcommittee overseeing Internet political activity didn’t take a stance on how, or even if, the commission would regulate political advocacy via e-mail, social networking sites and blogs – essentially online analogs of conventional political tools like direct mail and newspaper opinion pieces.

Read the rest of this entry »

10:00 PM PDT on Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Press-Enterprise

All the many millions that Inland tribes spent during the recent campaign over casino-expansion deals didn’t just win an election.

It also helped put the tribes into the upper echelons of California political spending, surpassing traditional powerhouses such as energy companies, business groups and big tobacco, according to a new study.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/13/2010 04:41:01 PM PST

After getting off to a slow start at its inception in 2003, the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit has garnered attention over the past year with major cases against high level former officials of San Bernardino County.

From blowing open an alleged massive county corruption scandal to targeting conflicts of interest at the municipal level, the unit appears to be gaining momentum in its effort to ferret out alleged misdeeds by government officials.

Read the rest of this entry »

March 12, 2010 | Lance Williams

Gaming Indian tribes have emerged as bigger players in Sacramento than the power companies that dominated California politics for much of the 20th century.

The pharmaceutical lobby’s political spending is nearly triple that of the state chamber of commerce.

Read the rest of this entry »

By John Howard | 03/11/10 1:00 AM PST

Of the more than $1.33 billion spent by special interests during the past decade to influence public policy in Sacramento, about three out of every four dollars were spent by an array of groups that included pharmaceutical companies, Indian tribes, petroleum and energy companies, the health care industry, and others.

As a group, spending by public-employee unions –including the California Teachers Association — represented just over a fourth of the total.

Read the rest of this entry »

Benoit

By PE Politics
March 10, 2010 3:44 PM

The state Fair Political Practices Commission has closed its investigation into allegations that former Inland legislator John Benoit violated campaign-finance laws.

The complaint alleged that Benoit, now a Riverside County supervisor, avoided campaign contribution limits, failed to itemize subvendor payments, illegally moved money between committees and used campaign money for personal use.

Read the rest of this entry »

Neil Derry

Supervisor Neil Derry
Posted: 03/09/2010 07:32:21 PM PST

These are indeed troubled times for San Bernardino County.

Again.

Recently, former county officials were arrested and there are clear indications that a multitude of investigations may well lead to more arrests, more exposures of misdeeds, and sadly, continued confirmation to residents here and those elsewhere that this county remains the Wild West.

I ran for supervisor to take on these tough issues. I believe we should dig deeply into these scandals. That is why the voters of the 3rd District elected me.

Read the rest of this entry »

Gov. Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver received more than $235,000 for appearing in spots for the state’s tourism commission. Aides say the couple didn’t know about the income and have paid it back.

By Michael Rothfeld

March 5, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who often speaks of his love for California, has promoted the state with his wife Maria Shriver in television commercials over the last five years. And as they invited viewers to visit, California’s first couple got paid.

Read the rest of this entry »

A major allegation contained in the recent announcement of charges in the “windshield crack-like” corruption investigation into San Bernardino County government by District Attorney Mike Ramos and Attorney General Edmund “Jerry” Brown has some interesting twists.

Ramos earlier this week announced a series of reforms necessary to put the power of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors in check.

Strangely enough, one of the proposed reforms didn’t involve a measure to curb abuse in the expenditure of campaign funds.

Read the rest of this entry »

The escalation of actions between the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and District Attorney Mike Ramos can be described in no other words than “Political War”.

While county supervisors sweep their offices for surveillance devices, Ramos tramples over Title 18 of the United States Code in his quest for political dominance in the county.

Title 18 covers violation of civil rights under color of law.

Something that now appears to have finally caught the eye of federal investigators.

Read the rest of this entry »

Cassie MacDuff

10:00 PM PST on Monday, February 22, 2010

Why does one public official’s failure to disclose a gift, income or property warrant criminal charges, while others get off with mere fines?

I’ve wondered about that since the arrest last year of former San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin on 10 felonies.

Erwin is headed for trial on charges related to not disclosing a trip back East on developer Jeff Burum’s private jet and a Rolex watch Burum gave him.

Read the rest of this entry »

It seems San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane would like all of us to drink his flavor of “Kool-Aid”.

However, in Biane’s case it’s either a bottle of Kettle One vodka or a few bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Biane, who himself has apparently been a subject of focus by District Attorney Michael Ramos is attempting to woefully spin a ridiculous story that no one believes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Supervisor Paul Biane

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 02/05/2010 07:28:45 PM PST

San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane has hired a law firm specializing in white collar crime to represent him in an ongoing Grand Jury investigation and corruption probe by the District Attorney’s and state Attorney General’s offices.

Campaign finance records released Monday show that in the last half of 2009, Biane paid out nearly $50,000 from his campaign coffers to the Los Angeles law firm Corbin, Fitzgerald & Athey LLP. Two payments were made between July 1 and Dec. 31 for $35,000 and $14,782.53.

Read the rest of this entry »

Supervisor Paul Biane

10:00 PM PST on Thursday, February 4, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane retained a criminal defense attorney last fall to advise him before he testified in front of a grand jury, the supervisor said Thursday.

Biane’s campaign finance documents filed Monday for the period between July 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2009 show two payments totaling about $50,000 to the Los Angeles law firm of Corbin, Fitzgerald and Athey. The firm specializes in white-collar criminal defense and business litigation, according to its Web site.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Administrator at 4 February 2010

Throughout the investigation into the sexual harassment complaint against San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos, iePolitics suggested that the final report against Ramos would be scathing.

That was based on several factors.

First, we had seen some of the evidence first hand—evidence that we mistakenly believed could not be covered up.  Second, we had sources close to the investigation.  Third, Ramos loves to drink and spill his guts.  Even he confided to his drinking buddies that his days were numbered.

Read the rest of this entry »

District Attorney Mike Ramos

The release of campaign finance reports for the second half of 2009 did prove something. It proved San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos is above it all.

Yes, above it all. As a matter of fact, I think we should refer to the District Attorney as Lord Ramos.

It seems Lord Ramos went back to the campaign funds for his wife and a really close friend.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Administrator at 3 February 2010

The story from InlandPolitics below is simply amazing. We all heard the rumors of District Attorney Mike Ramos putting the screws to Supervisor Paul Biane. We heard stories of him being in hiding and waiting for District Attorney investigators to show up at his door to place him in handcuffs. His attendance at Board of Supervisors meetings waned. He looked sullen when he did appear in public. Some suspected it was his alcoholism but those in the know knew it he was scared to death.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by La Cochita at 3 February 2010

Twelve citizens of the city of Grand Terrace have a filed a request with District Attorney Mike Ramos to investigate one of his many mistresses for Government Code section 1090 violations. Which mistress you may ask. Yes, I realize it is difficult to keep them all straight. This time around it is Bertha Bea Cortes, a councilwoman for Grand Terrace.

Read the rest of this entry »

Supervisor Paul Biane

Campaign finance records obtained from the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters reveal a county supervisor retained a criminal defense attorney last year.

Apparently, Second District Supervisor Paul Biane was concerned enough over an investigation by District Attorney Mike Ramos that he retained legal counsel. Records show Biane paid $49,782.53 from his campaign funds to the Los Angeles-based law firm of Corbin, Fitzgerald and Athey LLP for legal services.

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The campaign finance disclosure statements for members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors have some interesting characteristics of note.

Here is the annual summary of all five supervisors who collectively raised $899,384.54 in 2009.

Not bad for a poor economy.

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February 1, 2010 | 2:00 pm

Another 16 California lawmakers and aides have agreed to pay fines after California’s ethics agency found they failed to report gifts from lobbying groups, according to documents released Monday.

That brings the total number of officials penalized in the last month to 42, and total fines to $12,100. Those fined have admitted they did not file required public disclosures of gifts received in 2008, including sports and concert tickets, meals, spa treatments and hotel stays.

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Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
February 1, 2010

After the jump see a list of the California lawmakers who have agreed to pay fines for not reporting gifts received from lobbyist employers in 2008.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, $600 fine, for failing to report three dinners – from AT&T, $113; Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, $94; and from Chevron Corp., $59.

Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, $600 fine – concert tickets from Verizon, $300; a meal from Medtronic Inc., $190; and golfing fees from the California Cable and Telecommunications Assoc., $250.

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Capitol Journal

It “defies logic to presume that a corporation is entitled to the same constitutional rights as the people,” says Ross Johnson of the Fair Political Practices Commission. (Los Angeles Times)

How about tossing all limits and just fully disclosing?
By George Skelton Capitol Journal

January 28, 2010

From Sacramento

Maybe it’s time — time to junk all the political campaign contribution limits with their jumbo loopholes. Just give it up.

In many ways, the restrictions are useless and counterproductive, driving contributions underground and often through the laundry room.

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Bea Cortes

City of Grand Terrace council member Bertha Bea Cortes is the focus of a complaint submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney this week.

InlandPolitics.com received a copy of the complaint by email this morning.

The complaint signed by twelve citizen’s of the city alleges that Cortes committed multiple violations of the Political Reform Act. Specifically, that Cortes engaged in a conflict of interest in violation of section 1090 of the California Government Code, and committed perjury by filing false statements of economic interest, known as Form 700.

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10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, January 26, 2010

By SANDRA STOKEY
The Press-Enterprise

GLEN AVON – The California Fair Political Practices Commission has rejected a complaint filed against Jurupa Unified School District board member Mary Burns, citing insufficient information that Burns violated the state’s Political Reform Act.

FPPC Executive Director Roman Porter also advises complainant Denis Fitzgerald that violations of Government Code, section 1090 — which also are alleged in the complaint — are investigated by the local district attorney or the state’s attorney general’s office.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/23/2010 09:37:01 PM PST

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating five Inland Empire lawmakers for allegedly failing to report hundreds of dollars worth of gifts in 2008.

The five are among 38 state lawmakers who are being investigated for allegedly failing to report gifts and other perks including meals, beverages, parking tabs and tickets to sporting venues and theme parks valued at more than $8,000.

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Supervisor Paul Biane

10:00 PM PST on Friday, January 22, 2010

Cassie MacDuff

No one needed a reminder of the cozy relationship between a San Bernardino County supervisor and developers who got $102 million from the county.

But one came belatedly this week with the revelation that Supervisor Paul Biane took a September 2008 junket to West Virginia with Colonies Partners’ Dan Richards and Ray Crebs.

Biane voted in favor of the $102 million Colonies settlement in 2006. The payout is under investigation.

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As more statements from those involved appear in local newspapers, and other information is gathered related to the travel activity of County Supervisor Paul Biane and incoming County Administrative Officer Greg Devereaux, it is becoming very apparent that both men are on opposite sides of the coin.

In 2008, both men accompanied local businessmen to West Viriginia for a football and golf outing.

However, their stories in local newspapers diverge from here out.

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Supervisor Paul Biane

Devereaux, Biane eyed for possible disclosure violations

BY NATASHA LINDSTROM
STAFF WRITER

SAN BERNARDINO • The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office has asked the state campaign watchdog to examine possible reporting violations over gifts received by newly-hired CountyAdministrative Officer Greg Devereaux and 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane.

Devereaux and Biane may have failed to properly report on their campaign disclosure forms of a cross-country flight on a private jet to Virginia more than a year ago.

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January 20, 2010 | 4:37 pm

At least 26 state legislators have admitted they failed to report accepting gifts from lobbying groups and will pay fines for violating financial reporting laws.

The fines are the first penalties revealed as part of an investigation by the state’s political watchdog agency into suspicions that 38 state lawmakers – including Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) — and 15 staff members failed to disclose gifts. The gifts included sports and concert tickets, meals, spa treatments and hotel rooms; those who gave included a casino, horse-racing track, union, bank and various other interest groups.

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January 20, 2010 | 9:56 am

An ethics probe into state lawmakers suspected of not reporting gifts they received from lobbying groups has implicated much of the leadership of the Legislature, records show.

Those who have been questioned in writing by the state Fair Political Practices Commission about gifts they received include Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), state Senate Republican leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta, Senate Republican leader-elect Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga and Assemblyman Martin Garrick of Solano Beach, who was elected this week to become the next Assembly Republican leader.

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County Supervisor Paul Biane has broken his silence. Now his statements bear some analysis.

A leisure trip to West Virginia that occurred in September 2008 was reimbursed out of Biane’s campaign funds. Did the reimbursement occur in September 2008 or when the amended disclosure form was filed in March 2009, just 8 days before the arrest of Jim Erwin, former Chief of Staff to Supervisor Neil Derry?

Erwin was charged with ten counts of perjury and filing false documents related to a trip and gift he received in January 2007.

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Supervisor Paul Biane

10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, January 19, 2010

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

A trip that San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane took in September 2008 is the subject of a legal opinion that the district attorney’s office is seeking from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

The San Bernardino County district attorney’s office said Sunday that it sent a referral to the commission last week seeking an opinion on whether Biane and newly hired county administrator Greg Devereaux violated disclosure laws by failing to report gifts they received.

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Supervisor Paul Biane

Was there a deal cut to protect San Bernardino County’s beleaguered district attorney Mike Ramos?

Certainly looks like it.

Multiple sources confirm to InlandPolitics that the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors cut a deal, where Ramos’ investigation of alleged political malfeasance in county government would be punted off to be handled as an administrative matters by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) in Sacramento.

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Greg Devereaux

10:00 PM PST on Sunday, January 17, 2010

By CASSIE MACDUFF and IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

The San Bernardino County district attorney’s office has asked the state Fair Political Practices Commission to determine whether Supervisor Paul Biane and newly hired county administrator Greg Devereaux violated disclosure laws by failing to report gifts they received from an unidentified person.

District attorney spokeswoman Susan Mickey said the office sent a letter to the FPPC a week ago asking for a legal opinion on whether the two men violated political reform laws.

The FPPC is expected to provide an answer within 30 days, Mickey said.

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InlandPolitics is receiving information regarding the referral to the Fair Political Practices Commission evidence gathered against certain high profile county/city officials by District Attorney Michael A. Ramos.

The referral occurred prior to the county’s clearing of Ramos in an active investigation regarding the DA and his operation.

The conduct referred to the State would in the Ramos’ own words be described as major violations.

However, no criminal charges were filed.

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San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit Policies

The below policies were copied from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office official website.  Pay particular attention to the fifth bulleted paragraph.  Although form FPPC 700 violations (economic interests) are not specifically mentioned, they are under the jurisdiction of the Fair Political Practices Commission just like the campaign disclosure violations.  Generically they both involve public disclosure of information deemed critical to an informed public.

Logically they both would be handled in an identical manner.

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Posted by Administrator3 at 15 January 2010

SEVERAL ADMIT MISTAKES AMID FPPC CRACKDOWN

By Jim Sanders and Phillip Reese
jsanders@sacbee.com
Published: Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A

Thirty-eight California legislators are under investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission on suspicion of failing to disclose gifts ranging from expensive meals to concert tickets provided by interest groups.

Roman Porter, FPPC executive director, said public disclosure of such gifts is a crucial part of the political process.

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L.A. NOW
Southern California — this just in

January 4, 2010 | 4:30 pm

The California Republican Party has agreed to pay $18,000 in fines to the state’s political ethics agency for campaign finance violations that include failure to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses.

The agreement to pay the fines will be considered Jan. 14 by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, whose staff negotiated the settlement after eight violations were found in a routine audit.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010 – 12:00 am | Page 3A

California Watch, a new investigative reporting service, told us the other day that California politicians and campaign contributors “have routinely funneled money through county-level political party committees … avoiding strict limits on campaign giving and hiding the source of millions in donations.”

California Watch didn’t tell us, however, that laundering campaign money to disguise its source is exactly what state legislators intended when they wrote Proposition 34 a decade ago.

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January 2, 2010
Chase Davis

Politicians and their supporters routinely funnel money through county-level political party committees around the state, avoiding strict limits on campaign giving and hiding the source of millions in donations, a California Watch analysis shows.

By using county parties as middlemen both Democrat and Republican donors can contribute far more money than the law typically allows to highly contested races in California where the extra cash could make the difference between winning and losing.

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10:59 PM PST on Sunday, December 20, 2009

By JIM MILLER
Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO – Nine years ago, Stephen Holgate could have given as much as he wanted to aid the Assembly aspirations of San Jacinto Councilman Jim Ayres. Both men would have been in good company.

But now the two face dozens of charges for running afoul of California’s campaign-finance law. It is at the heart of last month’s 155-count indictment against nine political and civic leaders in San Jacinto, and the basis of last week’s charges against six more people.

The case highlights Riverside County’s role as one of the few — if only — counties in California to prosecute contribution-limit violators, who usually are dealt with by the state’s campaign-finance watchdog agency.

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10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, December 15, 2009

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to settle a complaint of failure to disclose income against San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos for a $200 fine, a campaign spokesman for Ramos announced Tuesday.

David Ellis, Ramos’ campaign consultant, said the state watchdog agency offered a proposed settlement. Ramos signed the agreement on Dec. 8, according to a news release.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer

Posted: 12/15/2009 05:21:20 PM PST

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos has paid a $200 fine to settle a Political Reform Act violation for failing to report a $10,000 payment to his wife for working on his campaign.

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on Nov. 2 notified Ramos of a complaint filed against him by former assistant assessor Jim Erwin, who faces felony charges for failing to report about $15,000 in gifts he received from a Rancho Cucamonga developer in January 2007.

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Published: Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 16A

If someone gives a California state official a $1,000 gift, the official is legally obligated to report it. If the same gift is given to the official’s spouse or children, the reporting obligation vanishes.

The loophole this leaves for someone trying to influence legislation, or policy, is obvious. And the California Fair Political Practices Commission is moving to close it by making officials’ relatives follow the same rules on gifts as the officials themselves.

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10:00 PM PST on Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Press-Enterprise

Limiting the freebies special interests can hand to public officials matters little if those same gifts can go instead to officials’ family members. So the state’s political watchdog agency should tighten the rules on gifts to politicians’ families, to close a sizable loophole in regulations meant to deter influence peddling and insider dealing.

The Fair Political Practices Commission plans to discuss revising the rules covering gifts to relatives on Dec. 10. Currently, the state’s ethics rules limit public officials from receiving more than $420 in gifts annually from any one interest group. And officials have to file public reports listing what they received.

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The former Democratic candidate for governor admits to 32 counts of campaign finance law violations and is fined $104,500. Members of the state commission that regulates boxing are also cited.

By Michael Rothfeld and Patrick McGreevy

December 1, 2009

Reporting from Sacramento – The state’s ethics watchdog agency announced fines Monday against a former Democratic candidate for governor, a sitting assemblyman and three current or former members of the state commission that regulates boxing.

Steve Westly, who lost a Democratic primary for governor in 2006, admitted to 32 counts of campaign finance law violations and agreed to pay $104,500 in a settlement with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

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By Susan Ferriss
sferriss@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 1A

Free tickets to ball games, spa visits or other treats for California officials’ spouses or children should be reported and counted toward annual gift limits, according to a new recommendation by staff at the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

“What we’re looking at is the attempt to influence” state legislators, their aides and certain other local and state officials in California, Roman Porter, executive director of the commission, said Monday.

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By Andrew McIntosh
amcintosh@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 3A

Veteran CalPERS board member Charles Valdes has agreed to pay a $12,500 fine for violating campaign finance laws after accepting contributions from pension fund placement operatives that exceeded legal limits, the state’s political watchdog said Monday.

The Fair Political Practices Commission said it has reached a settlement with Valdes and Billy Joe Hughes, treasurer of the Valdes campaign, following an auditand investigation into campaign contributions that Valdes received in late 2005. Details were posted on the FPPC’s Web site, but the five-member FPPC panel must still approve the agreement and proposed fine during a Dec. 10 meeting.

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Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/25/2009 03:14:31 PM PST

SAN BERNARDINO – City Attorney James F. Penman said Wednesday that he has agreed to pay a $5,000 settlement to the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission over a free membership he accepted at Arrowhead Country Club.

“I didn’t think I violated the law, but the FPPC feels differently … I have to respect their decisions,” Penman said, emphasizing that his settlement is not an admission of any criminal wrongdoing.

Penman said the commission staffers concluded that he did not report the full value of his honorary club membership in 2005 and 2006.

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BY NATASHA LINDSTROM
STAFF WRITER

SAN BERNARDINO

The state’s nonpartisan campaign watchdog is investigating San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos for failing to report a $10,000 campaign payment to his wife in 2008.

“We will investigate the allegation,” said Roman Porter, spokesman of the Fair Political Practices Commission, which has the ability to fine officials up to $5,000 per reporting violation.

Last week Ramos filed an amended Form 700 income disclosure document covering 2008, nine months after he filed the original form on Feb. 9. He added a $10,000 payment for the position of “campaign administrative assistant.”

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The simply answer is “Yes.” Mike is right. There is a very big difference between the violations charged against Mike Ramos and those against Jim Erwin.

Jim Erwin committed no crime. His original filing was the lawful and correct filing. His amended filing, which was done at the urging of Mike Ramos through Dave Ellis, was the incorrect way to report the watch and trip from Jeff Burum.

Jim was given the Rolex and trip as a “thank you” from Jeff for Jim’s help in negotiating the Colonies settlement. The $15,000 plus or minus value of the gift was far less than the value of the services Jim provided. Remember, Jim Brulte had a success fee arrangement with Colonies, where if a settlement was obtained through his efforts he would receive $250,000 for his services, and he was less involved than Jim. The arrangement expired a year earlier to the final settlement.

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Joe Nelson, Staff Writer
Created: 11/12/2009 05:31:16 PM PST

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has launched an investigation into San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos for failing to report a $10,000 payment to his wife for working on his political campaign.

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Friday, October 30, 2009

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has opened an investigation into San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos relating to his failure to properly report income provided to his wife, the Sentinel has learned.

The matter under investigation, according to sources who were instrumental in bringing the relevant information to the attention of the Sacramento-based political watchdog, pertains to $10,000 provided to Gretchen Ramos from the Friends of Mike Ramos campaign committee last year.

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A complaint has been file with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) against San Benardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos for failing to properly disclose funds paid to his wife.

The complaint alleges that Ramos failed to report income received by his wife Gretchen. Official campaign disclosure statements on file with the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters in 2008 indicate Ramos paid his wife $10,000.00 for “Campaign Services” from his campaign committee.

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By Torey Van Oot
tvanoot@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 4A

The state’s political watchdog agency Wednesday rejected a request that it investigate the actions of two female lobbyists who allegedly engaged in affairs with ex-Assemblyman Mike Duvall.

Duvall, a married Republican, resigned last month after a tape surfaced of him boasting about sexual trysts with two women, both reportedly lobbyists.

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