New Candidate Levels Charges at Two Officials

School board member Robert L. Richardson announced his candidacy for City Council on Thursday by charging that two city planning commissioners may be illegally soliciting political contributions for Councilman Ron May.

May denied the allegation and countered that Richardson, who is executive assistant to Orange County Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, is “being used by other politicians.”

Fresh from leading the successful No on Measure A campaign that defeated the jail initiative on Tuesday’s ballot, Richardson announced his candidacy in the November council election by leveling a strong allegation at Santa Ana planning commissioners George Hanna and Don Sizemore.

Richardson said the two commissioners may have violated state campaign contribution laws by allowing their names and titles to be used on a flyer for a major fund-raiser for May on Thursday.

The councilman staged the event at a South Coast Plaza restaurant, charging $250 per couple or $1,000 per sponsor. But Richardson said state law prohibits appointed officials, including planning commissioners, from soliciting any campaign funds of more than $250 from individuals who have business with their agency or board.

Attorney Mark Rosen, who represents Richardson’s campaign manager, said the commissioners are potentially in violation of the law because people who have projects before the planning board may be among May contributors at the fund-raiser.

May said that Hanna and Sizemore did not break the law because they do not know who received the mailers and who attended the fund-raiser. May said the letters were sent to those on a list compiled from contributors to his past campaigns.

“They have no idea who was invited at all. This is 110% legal,” May said.

Richardson said he did not know who may have received the flyers.

In separate interviews, Sizemore and Hanna said they would not attend the fund-raiser.

Sizemore said he had nothing to do with the fund-raiser other than having his name on the letter.

“I was exercising my freedom as a citizen to endorse a candidate,” he said. “I have no role in the fund-raiser. I just signed a letter.”

Hanna, who ran for mayor four years ago, called the charges “nonsense” and said that Richardson is running because his boss, Stanton, had been challenged by May for his seat two years ago.

“Ron May never requested that I solicit funds for him. This is cheap political rhetoric,” Hanna said.