MISSION VIEJO : Group Agrees to Pay Fine Over Mailer

A Mission Viejo political group has agreed to pay a $2,000 fine to the state for failing to disclose its involvement in sending out 24,000 campaign mailers on behalf of Measure A, the February slow-growth measure that requires citywide approval for all annexations.

The Alliance for Mission Viejo-Yes on Measure A, Yes on Recall has offered to pay the fine as part of a settlement with the state Fair Political Practices Commission. The political watchdog agency’s commissioners will vote on the offer at their Dec. 4 meeting in Sacramento.

The alliance was originally formed to help force the ouster of Mission Viejo City Councilman Robert A. Curtis, who foiled developer-backed attempts in February to recall him from office.

The alliance also supported Measure A, a slow-growth proposal that requires Mission Viejo voters to review major annexation plans. Measure A was approved overwhelmingly during the February election.

In support of the measure, the political group paid for and distributed 24,000 copies of a one-page letter signed by Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley. Yet the only notation that the letters and envelopes bore were Riley’s official seal, giving the “misleading impression” that they were actually sent by Riley, the FPPC settlement says.

Since the letters were sent out six days before the Feb. 27 election, there was no time for the alliance to “take corrective action” before Mission Viejo voters went to the polls, the agreement says.

Alliance officials have blamed the omission on the printer, who they said ignored their direction to include language on the envelopes identifying the political group as the source of the mailers. The FPPC agreement cites the group’s quick confession and cooperation as a mitigating factor in setting the proposed fine.