Overkill in Anaheim

Laws requiring the disclosure of the source of campaign contributions should be enforced, but when violations are relatively minor, as appears to be the case currently in Anaheim, developing a criminal case rather than filing civil charges is overkill.

Some months ago, City Atty. Jack L. White filed charges against a political action committee for allegedly making $32,000 in illegal contributions to a City Council race last year. White said he acted after someone complained about the donations. He said that if other complaints were made he would investigate further. Critics said White was targeting Republicans and should go after Democrats as well. Two of the five council members--their three colleagues abstained--decided to hire a special prosecutor to look at all of last year’s races.

The special prosecutor, Ravi Mehta, has dug up alleged violations including filing campaign reports one day late. Yet Mehta also has threatened to file criminal charges against several officials, including Mayor Tom Daly, if they do not pay fines set by Mehta.

In most cases, minor violations of campaign finance laws are referred to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which can investigate and levy fines. They don’t wind up in criminal court. Concealing the source of large amounts of money may warrant prosecution; a donor giving a few dollars over the limit does not.

Although he once was an Orange County prosecutor, Mehta these days is commuting from his Sacramento home for the job, charging the city $250 an hour. So far he has managed to rack up nearly $40,000 in bills, not counting expenses.

Complicating matters is the fact that Daly and an Anaheim council member, Lou Lopez, are considering running for county supervisor next year. Another councilman, Bob Zemel, is an announced candidate for Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s seat in Congress. That gives the fund-raising inquiry the appearance of an attempt to dig up information for campaign “hit pieces” next year.

It’s not at all clear that a special prosecutor is even needed. Lopez and Zemel hired Mehta and should set a low limit on how much he can spend and be paid.