Hunter Vows to Repay State for Press Release Sent Out by ‘Mistake’

Blaming it on a “mistake” by her staff, Assemblywoman Tricia Hunter (R-Bonita) on Thursday said she will reimburse the state for a campaign press release that went out earlier this week on her office stationery and from her office fax machine.

State law prohibits officeholders from using their staffs, materials or equipment for anything not related to legislative business.

Hunter, however, apparently ran afoul of that law when her Sacramento office cranked out a press release Wednesday evening announcing that a prominent Coachella Valley citrus farmer--Howard Marguleas, chairman of Sun World International--had agreed to serve as honorary chairman of her reelection campaign.

“I don’t normally get this involved in Assembly campaigns, but Tricia Hunter has become such a leader and so dedicated to making sound public policy that I want to do everything possible to help her get reelected in the 80th District,” the release quoted Marguleas as saying.

The release also quoted Hunter as saying that “Howard’s support is a great boost to my campaign, which is getting stronger every day.”

Although the release was about politics, it was printed under the heading “News From the Office of Assemblywoman Tricia Hunter,” was faxed from her Sacramento legislative office to the Capitol press corps and listed her district office number and top aide as a contact. There was no disclaimer identifying the piece as coming from the campaign.

On Thursday, Hunter offered to repay the state for its expenses after The Times raised questions about the release’s legality. The chief administrative officer for the Assembly Rules Committee said he would ask the panel to investigate the matter next week.

“The mistake was made by one of my staff,” Hunter said. “The mistake is it went out on that fax, I’m not denying that. I have to take responsibility for it.”

Tony Russo, one of Hunter’s Sacramento-based political consultants, said he wrote the release, and that the Assemblywoman approved it before it went out. He said only four or five were faxed from Hunter’s office in Sacramento, and others were distributed by her political consultants in Southern California.

The press release flap is the second time that Hunter’s office has taken criticism for its use of state materials at election time.

In June, 1990, her office sent out 13,300 letters to 76th Assembly District homes in the waning days of a tough primary race, prompting her opponent to accuse the incumbent of a “sneaky, unethical stunt.”

Hunter denied there was a political motive to the mailings at the time, but conceded that voters could have gotten that impression.