Countywide : 2 Challenge Flynn Over Fund-Raiser

Two Oxnard men charged Monday that Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn was unethical in failing to disclose that his St. Patrick’s Day party was a political fund-raiser--a claim disputed by a former state elections official.

Flynn denied the allegations by Scott Bollinger and Paul Dolan, saying that the $10 tickets to the Sunday afternoon party clearly linked it to his “Flynn for Supervisor” campaign.

“I think it’s just frivolous,” Flynn said.

Flynn said he had opposed Bollinger and Dolan--both of whom have run for different offices in Oxnard city government--on different issues.

About 1,400 people attended the three-hour party Sunday that included a band, food, prizes and a poll on local issues. The phrase “Flynn for Supervisor” appears on the tickets. Flynn is in his fourth term as 5th District supervisor, which covers Oxnard and unincorporated areas of the county. His term expires in 1993.

Bollinger and Dolan have called for an investigation by the Ventura County district attorney and the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Bob Stern, election law specialist and former general counsel of the Fair Political Practices Commission, said there would be some concern if people bought tickets without realizing the event was a political fund-raiser. But Stern said there are no requirements by the commission regarding identifying a fund-raiser on a ticket.

Donald Coleman of the Ventura County district attorney’s office said he had not seen the complaint.