State to Probe Inglewood Mayor’s Spending

The state attorney general’s office will open a “preliminary inquiry” into Inglewood Mayor Edward Vincent’s campaign spending to determine whether Vincent misused campaign funds, an attorney general’s spokesman said Wednesday.

Eugene Hill, head of the attorney general’s Government Division, said he had instructed attorneys in his Los Angeles office to determine whether there should be a full investigation of Vincent’s campaign spending.

Hill said the inquiry was prompted by a Times story Sept. 15. The story cited public records that indicate Vincent may have been reimbursed by the city for a 1987 trip that was paid for by his campaign fund. The Times also reported that Vincent has failed to itemize and explain about $50,000 in travel-related expenses since 1983, as required by state law.

Vincent, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, has previously declined to discuss the possible double-billing. He has said he would amend his finance statements.

“The purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether an investigation is required,” Hill said. The attorney general’s office will investigate whether “personal-use prohibitions of the Election Code have been violated,” he said.

The state Election Code forbids the personal use of campaign funds. It defines personal use as an expense that does not have a “reasonable relationship to political, legislative or governmental purposes.” Travel paid with campaign funds must have a reasonable relationship to such purposes.

In the case of an officeholder who is reimbursed for a trip with public funds and then charges it to his campaign fund, the attorney general’s office looks into whether a campaign expense has occurred, Hill said.

The attorney general’s office will examine Vincent’s campaign statements and city reimbursement records and may question the mayor on those documents, Hill said.

Violation of personal-use prohibitions in the Election Code is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or twice the amount of the illegal expense, whichever is greater, Hill said.

On Nov. 20, 1987, Vincent was reimbursed $933.45 for a driving tour Nov. 5-8 of municipal farmers markets in the Morro Bay and San Francisco areas. He turned in an expense statement including $604 in American Express receipts for lodging and meals for two people, records show.

Five days later, his campaign paid $953.41 to American Express, according to his campaign statement, a payment listed as travel and accompanied by the description “Farmer’s Market Tour/Morro Bay.”

City Manager Paul Eckles has said the city will not look into the matter.