Pringle Sues FPPC Over Funds Ruling : Seeks to Use Campaign Money to Defend Himself

Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) Thursday filed suit to overturn a state watchdog agency’s ruling that prohibits him from using campaign funds to defend himself in a federal lawsuit.

The suit also asks that the agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, be barred from prosecuting him for any violation of the Aug. 15 ruling. According to the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the FPPC began prosecuting such a complaint against him last week.

Neither Pringle nor FPPC officials could be reached for comment.

Intimidation at Polls Alleged

In his lawsuit, Pringle said he needed to raise money to defend himself in the federal suit brought by the Hispanic Political Council, which alleges that several of its members were intimidated when they tried to vote Nov. 8 by uniformed security guards posted by Pringle’s campaign at 20 Santa Ana polling places.

The Orange County Republican Party, which paid for the guards, said they were needed because there were rumors that Democrats might try to bus in illegal voters to tip the election.

Pringle narrowly won the election in a bitter, $1.6-million campaign. The Hispanic Political Council lawsuit was filed shortly afterward, asking that his election be overturned.

Only Means of Defense

Pringle alleged in the suit that he has already spent $170,000 to defend himself in the case and that his “personal resources are exhausted.”

The suit, filed by Irvine attorney Thomas R. Malcolm, said Pringle’s only means of securing representation to defend himself in the federal court action is to accept donations to pay legal fees.

The federal court action has a Jan. 16 trial date.

Last week, Pringle acknowledged that he paid $50,000 to his attorneys in the poll-guard suit out of a fund established to mount a defense against a now-abandoned recall bid by Democrats who were angry over the election incident.

Pringle said last week that he was “quite justified” in using the money for his legal fees because both the lawsuit and the recall attempt stemmed from the same issue.

The FPPC ruled last month that money raised for his defense are campaign contributions and thus are covered by Proposition 73’s ban on accepting more than $1,000 from any individual and Proposition 68’s prohibition on raising money in a year when a candidate’s name is not on any ballot. The two measures restricting contributions were approved by voters in November.

Because his name will not appear on any ballot in 1989, Pringle said, he cannot raise any money for his defense this year.

The FPPC said the same restrictions do not apply to the Hispanic Political Council’s fund raising to pursue its lawsuit.