FPPC Fines Council Member

Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas and two political aides face $35,000 in fines for failing to disclose expenses charged to his state political committee, including $17,000 paid to a golf course and golf equipment firm, officials said Tuesday.

Cardenas said the $87,956 in expenses cited in the violation involved costs of serving as a state assemblyman through 2002, including bills for a golf tournament, gift bags and greens fees that were part of a political fundraising event.

The state Fair Political Practices Commission staff released a proposed settlement that says 169 expenses incurred by Cardenas’ state officeholder committee from July 1, 2000, through Sept. 30, 2002, were not properly disclosed.

Cardenas and his two campaign treasurers agreed to pay the fines, but plan to appeal, saying the errors were merely clerical.

“We didn’t fully agree with the FPPC, but we agreed to pay it,” Cardenas said.

State law requires elected officials to itemize expenditures over $100 so voters “may be fully informed and improper practices may be inhibited,” according to the settlement agreement.

In the case of Cardenas and campaign treasurers Kinde Durkee and Maria Sanchez, Mark Krause, the FPPC’s executive director, pressed for stiff penalties, saying that significant expenses were not properly reported and there was a pattern of noncompliance.

On 11 separate reports, Cardenas reported the totals billed to his credit card but did not provide a breakdown of each expense.

“What it came down to is, early on when I was a legislator, everything was reported. It just was not reported in the fashion the FPPC wanted,” Cardenas said. “It was a matter of being new to the reporting requirement. Once it was brought to our attention, we corrected it.”

Expenses not properly disclosed include tabs of $789 and $463 for two visits to Brannan’s Bar & Grill in Sacramento, $220 paid to Paramount’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, $1,050 to Marc Popcorn Co., $222 to the Spa Hotel in Palm Springs, $110 to the Jelly Belly store, and $422 to Thorton & Sons Jewelers. Cardenas also had meals at the Bistro Garden and Todai restaurants in Studio City.

Cardenas said the restaurant tabs were for staff lunches and the popcorn bill was to buy a popcorn-maker used at community events that he hosted as state assemblyman. The jeweler’s bill was for gifts for colleagues and staff members, he said.

Expenses included $12,500 paid to Cascades Golf Club in Sylmar and $5,525 paid to Diamond Head Golf Manufacturing. Cardenas said the golf course bills were for a political fundraiser.

The fines will not be finalized until the Fair Political Practices Commission approves them at its Jan. 20 meeting.