SANTA ANA : Pulido Complains of Detective Payment

City Councilman Miguel A. Pulido accused election opponent Coween Dickerson on Wednesday of breaking state law by not reporting payments to a private detective by her then-campaign treasurer as a contribution to her campaign.

In a press conference at his residence, Pulido said Dickerson was obligated to report any money that her former campaign treasurer paid in hiring the detective to watch and follow Pulido, whom Dickerson had accused of not actually living in the city.

Salvador Juarez, the former campaign treasurer, resigned when the detective’s employment was publicly revealed.

Dickerson, who sat in a car decorated with campaign placards outside Pulido’s home during the press conference, said she had no obligation to include the payments in her state-required financial reports because she had nothing to do with the hiring of the detective and that no campaign money was used.

Pulido is running against Dickerson in the Nov. 6 race.

Pulido’s campaign treasurer, Shirley Grindle, who authored the county’s TIN-CUP political reform law, has filed a complaint with the Orange County district attorney requesting an investigation.

Chief Assistant Dist. Atty. Maurice L. Evans said Wednesday that he has received the request and is reviewing it.

Citing state election law, Grindle said Juarez was responsible for knowing how much money was spent on behalf of Dickerson’s campaign. Because of his position, Grindle said, Juarez should have reported the payment.

Grindle also said that since Juarez hired the detective to benefit Dickerson’s campaign, it should be considered a non-monetary contribution that also needs to be reported.

Sandra Michioku, a spokeswoman for the state Fair Political Practices Commission, said she could not comment about any specific allegations. But she said that if a person makes a payment at the behest of a candidate, it is legally considered a contribution. If the candidate was not involved in the making of an expenditure, however, it would not be considered a reportable contribution.

Private investigator William Holland of Fountain Valley has said that Juarez paid him with personal checks. Holland said Juarez had hired his agency because he suspected that Pulido had actually lived in Fullerton at his family’s home before moving to a new home on Garnsey Street in Santa Ana. The detectives began their surveillance on Aug. 29. In the latest economic statement filed last Friday, Dickerson lists a $100 contribution from Juarez. That contribution does not have anything to do with the detective, Dickerson said.