Legal Challenge to County Campaign Law Withdrawn

A lawsuit alleging that Orange County’s strict campaign contribution law is discriminatory because it limits the amount of money married couples can donate to candidates is being withdrawn because it is not an appropriate test case, attorneys said Thursday.

“We don’t have standing,” said attorney Dana Reed, whose wife, Debra, filed suit April 26 against the campaign reform act known as Measure T.

Under the law, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in June, 1992, candidates for county office are prohibited from accepting contributions of more than $1,000 from any single source during an election cycle, generally four years. Married couples are considered one source and bound by the $1,000 limit.

Debra Reed’s lawsuit was the first legal challenge to the county ordinance. According to court documents, she gave $100 to Supervisor William G. Steiner after her husband had already contributed $1,000 to the supervisor’s reelection campaign. Steiner’s treasurer returned Debra Reed’s check because it appeared to exceed the limit.

Dana Reed said Thursday that a recent review of the dates of the checks, however, showed that a portion of his contribution to Steiner was made six days before he and his wife were married and did not apply to the couple’s maximum allowable contribution to Steiner.

Because of that discovery, Dana Reed said his wife must drop the suit. He said he was alerted to the situation by Shirley L. Grindle, a local political activist who pushed for the campaign finance reform law.

“It galls me to say this, but Shirley Grindle got me on this one,” said Dana Reed, adding that he still intends to challenge the law some time in the future.

Grindle said she wasn’t surprised that the Reeds had to dismiss the suit. She said she was not worried about a challenge to the law because she wants “this issue resolved.”

Grindle said the reason the law restricts married couples’ contributions is actually to protect contributors from getting “hit up twice” by political fund-raisers. “We’re not trying to tread on anyone’s constitutional rights,” she said.