Thursday, May 8, 2008

Think Campaign Violations are No Big Deal? Think Again.

Senator Carole Migden, D -San Francisco has agreed to pay $350,000 in fines for 89 violations of campaign finance laws in the state of California.

In March, the California Fair Political Practices Commission released a signed stipulation in which Migden acknowledged she had 89 violations of the Political Reform Act from 2003 to 2007. Migden was previously fined $94,600 in 2006 for failure to file timely campaign reports.

FPPC staff said Migden cooperated with the investigation but stated in a 45 page report that she deserved the maximum potential fine of $445,000 because of a clear pattern of violations that included a repeated failure to comply with basic requirements of the act.

Migden has agreed to pay the fines herself and has not asked her former campaign treasurer and his assistant to assume any part of the financial liability.

The complaint was filed by Mark Leno, an Assemblyman from San Francisco, and Migden's former opponent in the 2006 Senate race.

In Illinois, politicans owe the state about $348,000 in fines for late filings of their campaign records. The fines accumulated when candidates did not adhere to the state's time table for reporting.

Top fines include $82,375 against former state Rep. Calvin Giles, D Chicago and $26,756.64 against Cook County Board President Todd Stroger.

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