Activist Seeks Charges Over Partisan Paper

A city activist has asked the Orange County district attorney’s office to bring civil charges against a group of residents and businesses for failing to report campaign expenditures in a recent recall election.

Richard A. Mackaig of Niguel Shores alleges that 12 residents, four businesses and three political committees violated state law by helping to publish and distribute 18,000 copies of the Dana Point Bulletin in March.

Mackaig alleges that the bulletin was a “hit piece” disguised as a newspaper and should have been reported as such.

Among those listed in Mackaig’s complaint are City Councilwoman Toni Gallagher and Ruby L. Netzley, a current council candidate.

“What they published was a political hit piece that they didn’t report. That’s the bottom line,” Mackaig said. “It’s blatantly unfair and a misrepresentation. If they want to print something like that, somebody has to stand up and report it as a contribution and an expenditure.”

Neither Netzley nor Gallagher could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Local attorney Geoffrey Lachner, who contributed an article for the Bulletin and was listed in Mackaig’s request, said he was unhappy with the campaign publication when he saw it.

“I didn’t see this paper before it went out. I would not have put out what was printed there,” Lachner said.