Calif. lawmakers agree to pay fines for failing to report lobbyists’ gifts, as required by law

Calif. lawmakers to be fined for unreported gifts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Concert tickets to Billy Joel, a taping of the “The George Lopez Show,” hotel stays and expensive meals are among the gifts that 31 California lawmakers acknowledged that they received but didn’t report, and for which will pay a fine.

They fessed up after a review by staff at the state’s campaign watchdog agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, found discrepancies with lobbyist reports.

The lawmakers signed stipulations acknowledging failure to report the gifts and agreed to pay the recommended fines, Roman Porter, the commission’s executive director, said Monday. The commission will have the final say at its Feb. 11 meeting.

“The commission has the ability to accept or reject them,” Porter said.

Enforcement staff proposed a $200 fine for each of the 47 violations, which would amount to $9,400 collectively in fines that will be deposited in the state general fund. Failure to disclose gifts can bring fines of up to $5,000 for each violation.

The commission in December sent letters to 38 members of the Assembly and Senate for failing to report gifts totaling thousands of dollars. The records document gifts received in 2008, the last year for which such information is available.

Seven lawmakers accused of reporting violations have pending cases, although representatives for Sen. Mimi Walters, R-Mission Viejo, and Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, said the FPPC has dropped the violations against them. Others have challenged the FPPC findings, expect to be fined later, or did not return calls seeking comment.

Porter declined to comment on the outstanding cases.

Among the gifts lawmakers said they did not report: meals at Ella’s, a high-end restaurant in Sacramento; tickets to Billy Joel, Keith Urban and George Strait concerts; a hard-to-get ticket to the 2008 Holiday Bowl between Oklahoma State and Oregon; a taping of ABC’s “The George Lopez Show;” and Sacramento Kings basketball games.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, agreed she failed to report meals paid by AT&T, Chevron Corp. and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, which operates Pechanga Resort and Casino in Southern California. Her attorney had previously characterized the mistake as a bookkeeping error. Commission staff have recommended she pay $600.

Incoming Republican Leader Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga, who failed to list $101 worth of food and drinks from the California Professional Firefighters, has agreed to pay $200. He has said his staff filed the gift under the wrong year.

Representatives for several lawmakers said violations were dropped after members showed the commission had erred or lobbyists mistakenly reported a gift.

Democratic state Sen. Ron Calderon of Montebello was initially informed that he should have reported $1,077 in gifts from the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies to his wife, Ana, including a stay at Pebble Beach Resorts, known for its stunning oceanfront view and world-class golf course.

Calderon is chairman of the Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee, which oversees the industry.

“Unless the elected official somehow enjoys or controls the gift, they’re not required to report a gift to a family member so the FPPC backed off its allegation,” said Calderon chief of staff Rocky Rushing.

The commission in December said it would consider imposing greater restrictions on gifts that go to relatives of public officials.

Commission staff also found that Calderon had reported one other gift from the same Pebble Beach stay and a July dinner from the Association of California Insurance Companies on July 12, Rushing said. Nevertheless, Calderon was fined $600 for failing to report a $189 meal from Medtronic, $250 greens fees paid by the Cable and Telecommunications Association and concert tickets worth $300 from Verizon. Rushing said that’s because lobbyists had not provided the senator’s office with a letter detailing the gifts.

“We’ll be taking independent steps from here on out to keep track of what gifts the senator receives,” Rushing said.