CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS: THE AD CAMPAIGN

The race: Secretary of State. Whose ad? Republican candidate Joan Milke Flores.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores began running a new 30-second television ad in Los Angeles and Sacramento Monday that attacks incumbent March Fong Eu for violating state campaign disclosure laws.

Elements of the commercial, with analysis by Times staff writer Dean Murphy:

Ad: Announcer: “Secretary of State March Fong Eu is supposed to enforce California’s campaign reporting laws. But last year the Fair Political Practices Commission found her guilty of 95 separate campaign violations.” Camera moves from close-up of Eu to an FPPC investigation report with Eu’s name circled.

Analysis: As secretary of state, Eu’s office is the depository for campaign disclosure statements filed by candidates. Her office enforces filing deadlines, but other violations fall under the jurisdiction of the FPPC. In March, Eu paid an $8,000 fine to the FPPC for violations involving her 1986 reelection. The FPPC found 95 reporting violations, but 85 of them involved the failure of Eu’s campaign committee to individually list radio stations that broadcast her political ads. The FPPC found no evidence that Eu had intentionally concealed the identities of the radio stations. The other violations involved late contributions totaling $11,450 that Eu’s campaign did not report. Eu has called the violations “inadvertent but not excusable.”

Ad: Announcer: “Her own office fined her $26,000 for other violations, but she cut her fines to just $650. Like a judge fixing his own ticket. After 16 years in office, it’s time for a change.” Camera cuts back to Eu, and closes with a close-up of Flores.

Analysis: In 1989, three committees associated with Eu’s 1986 reelection campaign were fined a total of $26,200 by her office for filing late campaign reports. Eu’s office later reduced the fines to a total of $650, which Eu says was in keeping with her policy of cutting or waiving fines for “unwillful” violations. Eu, who has the legal authority to reduce such fines, said she is required under law to act on all late filings, including those involving her own campaign.