Two lawmakers agree to pay ethics fines
The assemblymen violated campaign finance rules, political watchdog agency says.
SACRAMENTO — Assemblymen Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) and Frank Bigelow (RO’Neals) have agreed to pay fines to the state’s political watchdog agency for violating campaign finance rules, according to documents released Monday.
Ridley-Thomas has agreed to pay $3,500 in fines to the state Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to properly report contributions he received for his 2014 election.
He failed to report a contribution of $7,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11 within 10 days as required by campaign finance rules, according to a report by the commission’s enforcement staff. He also failed to disclose contributions of $1,000 from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and $8,200 from the Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 Legislative Fund Committee within 24 hours, the report said.
“Higher penalties are not being sought in this case because Ridley-Thomas served as his own committee treasurer, and he was not an experienced candidate,” the report said. “He relied upon a consultant who was hired to assist with campaign reporting, and he believed that the consultant was complying with all disclosure rules.”
Bigelow has agreed to pay $2,000 in fines for failing to make expenditures for his campaign from the designated campaign bank account for his 2016 election.
Instead, he used a personal account to pay for $2,189 in expenditures for meals with donors.
The commission will vote Dec. 21 on whether to approve the fines agreed to by Bigelow and Ridley-Thomas in talks with its enforcement staff.
The commission will also consider approving $18,000 in fines agreed to be paid by Sutter Health for failing to file in a timely manner nine lobbyist employer reports.