S.J. Democratic group fined for missing deadlines

STOCKTON — The San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee and its former treasurer missed five deadlines for filing campaign finance statements and reports in 2012 and will pay a $9,000 fine for violating California’s Political Reform Act.

Former Stockton Councilwoman Dyane Burgos Medina was the SJCDCC’s treasurer at the time of the violations. Medina announced last month she will run for her former seat on the City Council against incumbent Councilwoman Christina Fugazi in 2018.

A report on the violations, which have been stipulated to by the SJCDCC, is contained in the Fair Political Practices Commission’s agenda for its monthly meeting, which is Thursday. The FPPC released the agenda Monday afternoon.

According to the FPPC report, the violations came to light after the Franchise Tax Board audited the SJCDCC’s 2011-12 finances. The 10-page document also says the SJCDCC and Medina “substantially complied with campaign reporting requirements.”

“But the Committee and (Medina) failed to timely file three pre-election campaign statements and two (last-minute) contribution reports,” the document says. One of the filings was only 18 days late. Other missed deadlines ranged from nearly a year to one that was more than three years overdue, according to the document.

Asked to comment late Monday, Medina responded with a text message confirming she served as the SJCDCC’s volunteer treasurer during the period in question. She said records actually were kept by a professional bookkeeper.

“He handled everything from there,” Medina said.

SJCDCC meeting minutes for Aug. 12, 2012, confirm a vote taken that day to hired Concord-based accountant Greg Sanborn to do the books. Medina continued as the “treasurer of record,” thenSJCDCC chairman Nicholas Hatten said Monday.

“(Medina) attempted to file the report and had no experience doing it, and she did a pretty good job,” Hatten said.

Sanborn said he handled SJCDCC bookkeeping from 2013 until his retirement at the end of last year. Like Hatten, Sanborn said the complexity of the bookkeeping requires an experienced accountant.

“It’s gone beyond a non-professional’s ability,” Sanborn said. “The committee knew about (the violations) and resolved it by hiring a professional treasurer.”

Medina said when she became treasurer she attended a training where state Democratic Party officials recommended hiring a professional bookkeeper.

“It’s important to emphasize that I agree with the mission of the FPPC and in this case there was absolutely no intent to deceive,” wrote Medina, who served on the City Council in 2013-14. “I have filed many reports for my own races timely, accurately, and honestly.”