FPPC Backs Bills to Bar the Candidacy of Own Members

The state Fair Political Practices Commission on Tuesday unanimously endorsed legislation that would have prevented its former chairman, Dan Stanford, from running for state controller after resigning his FPPC post.

But the political watchdog commission was unable to reach agreement on endorsing any pending campaign finance reform bills designed to reduce the influence of special-interest money on the Legislature.

Stanford, appointed commission chairman by Gov. George Deukmejian in February, 1983, quit last Dec. 10 to seek the Republican nomination for state controller in the June 3 primary election.

The commission endorsed pending bills by Sens. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) and Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier) to prohibit any commissioner from seeking election to any public office during his four-year term--even if the official resigned before the expiration of the term. The vote was 4 to 0.

Some members of the Senate and Assembly fear that if the commission decided to investigate an officeholder, a commissioner could later decide to run against that official using inside information about the investigation during the campaign.

Commissioner Mike Montgomery of South Pasadena, a Republican appointed by Democratic Controller Ken Cory, took a swipe at Stanford without mentioning Stanford’s name.

“I’d like to see this commission take a fresh start and get away from too many press releases and a commissioner candidate,” Montgomery, a former GOP state chairman, pointedly told his colleagues.

Stanford, the first FPPC chairman to seek political office, had a reputation for issuing an abundance of press releases long before he decided to quit and run for controller.

Stanford said the Hart and Montoya bills “clearly demonstrate that I am the candidate for controller that Democrats fear the most.” He added that he was disappointed that the commission failed to take a strong stand on campaign finance reform.

In a surprise announcement on March 5, a couple of days before the filing deadline, Cory said he will retire at the end of this year and not seek reelection to a fourth term.

Meanwhile, the commission threw up its hands on the campaign finance reform issue, including its own staff proposal. Three of the five members appeared to agree that something should be done, but they disagreed on how to accomplish it. No vote was taken on several pending ideas except to order more staff study.

“There are only three of us here,” commented Chairman John H. Larson, who replaced Stanford, “and we don’t have two votes for any bill. We have had our discussion. We are adjourned.”

One pending bill by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) would limit campaign contributions and expenditures, ban donations during non-election years, outlaw the transfer of political funds from one legislator to another and implement partial public financing of legislative campaigns.

It is similar to a campaign finance reform initiative that is being pushed for voter ratification on the November ballot.

The commission’s own staff proposal, which has not been introduced as a bill, calls for granting Californians tax credits for making campaign contributions to legislative candidates.