State Panel to Weigh Montgomery’s Fines

The state Fair Political Practices Commission will decide July 3 whether to accept $7,900 in fines against former Moorpark Councilman Scott Montgomery, who violated state election law in his 1994 bid for county supervisor and resigned his council seat a year later after being charged with criminal conflict of interest.

On May 14, Administrative Law Judge Milford A. Maron ruled that Montgomery did not disclose numerous campaign contributions in his failed run for county office.

Chief among them were three contributions from Moorpark-based A-C Construction, according to commission counsel Mark Morodomi.

In May, 1994, Montgomery took a $250 donation from the company and $250 from its president, Stephen Anderson. Then, after voting in favor of a special use permit for A-C Construction, Montgomery accepted a $1,000 donation from the company, Morodomi said.

Maron imposed the maximum $2,000 penalty on each of the charges related to A-C Construction. Additional fines of $100 each were assessed for other violations of state election law.

The commission had sought fines totaling $11,735, but Maron approved the lesser amount.

In his ruling, the judge said Montgomery, who disclosed the donations only after the state began its investigation, had shown a “significant failure” to adhere to strict accounting procedures.

If the commission sides with Maron, Montgomery will have 30 days to appeal. The other option would be to reject the decision and continue the investigation.

Last year, Montgomery was placed on three years probation and given a suspended sentence of one day in jail stemming from conflict-of-interest charges.

In that case, which is unrelated to the election law violations, Montgomery accepted a $3,500 loan from a local businessman. He later voted on a contract between the donor’s business and the city.