Gov. urged to block relaxed donation rules

SACRAMENTO -- The head of the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency is urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to block a measure that would help lawmakers hide political donations.

Fair Political Practices Commission Chairman Ross Johnson, a former Republican state senator, said he was taking the unusual step of appealing to the governor because the measure, passed by the Legislature and promoted as a boost for charities, would essentially create a new way for lawmakers to avoid disclosing large contributions.

At issue is SB 381, a bill written by Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) that would change rules governing money donated to charities at the request of lawmakers. State records show that special interests with business before the Legislature and governor routinely donate tens -- sometimes hundreds -- of thousands of dollars to charities at the behest of politicians.

Sometimes the charities play a role in the campaigns of the politicians soliciting donations. They might mail literature to voters praising the work of a lawmaker, pay for trips by the lawmaker that boost his or her exposure or post billboards with a lawmaker’s picture.

A network of charities established by political allies of Schwarzenegger pays for some of the governor’s luxury travel abroad and works to attract news coverage of his policies.

Lawmakers who solicit charitable donations must report amounts of more then $5,000 within a year. The bill would raise the amount to $7,000 and extend the time limit for reporting the donation from one month to 90 days.

Johnson said the measure creates “a clear opportunity for improper practices to thrive.” The state should outlaw the solicitation of charitable contributions by lawmakers altogether, he said, noting that disclosure requirements for standard campaign donations kick in at $100.

Calderon did not respond to requests for comment. But in a legislative report on the measure, he argued that the changes are necessary because “the current reporting requirements have had the unforeseen effect of making officeholders extremely reluctant to participate in events that benefit the people they represent.”

He said lawmakers feared that doing something such as attaching their name to a public service announcement that seeks donations to a disaster fund could set off a series of cumbersome disclosure requirements.

A spokesman for the Schwarzenegger administration said the governor has not seen Johnson’s letter or reviewed the bill.

But Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, called Calderon’s argument “nonsense.”

“These donations can be a way to enhance the officeholders image and reputation,” he said. “There is not much difference between that type of contribution and a contribution to a campaign.”

“Why the [disclosure] limits are so high is beyond me,” Stern said. “This bill is going the wrong way. They should be lowering the amount at which disclosure kicks in.”

--

evan.halper@latimes.com