Fair Political Practices Complaint Lodged Against 2 Council Members

A group of residents said Tuesday they had filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission accusing two City Council members and an unsuccessful council candidate of misconduct in recent election campaigns.

The complaint alleges that a negative campaign mailer was paid for with money funneled through a Northridge political action committee in order to conceal the source of the funds.

The complaint named longtime Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy and the campaign committees of Darcy, council newcomer Frank Ferry, and Cameron Smyth, a candidate who failed to win a seat in the April election.

It accuses the candidates and others of not properly reporting contributions and of numerous other violations of the state Political Reform Act.

“When you spend a lot of money to win an election with negative and misleading information you do your community a disservice,” said Lynne Plambeck, who identified herself as one of 25 Santa Clarita residents who signed the complaint.

Darcy, Ferry and Smyth all strongly denied they had done anything improper in the campaign.

“I’d like to think that it was a mix-up, that this group is confused about the current campaign laws,” said Darcy, who acknowledged donating $5,000 to a political action committee known as the Southern California Taxpayer Alliance to help pay for a flier endorsing a slate of Republican candidates.

Darcy said she had no prior knowledge of a second flier produced by the group that targeted current Councilwoman Jill Klajic and candidate Marsha Mclean, who did not win a seat on the council. That flier is at the center of many of the allegations listed in the complaint.

“I had nothing to do with that,” Darcy said. “My contribution was just for a flier to support Republican candidates.”

Both Smyth and Ferry said their campaigns had not given any money to the PAC.

“These allegations are totally false and unfounded,” said Smyth, deputy chief of staff to state Sen. William (Pete) Knight (R-Palmdale). “It’s unfortunate, but I am confident that we did nothing wrong.”

“I think it’s a situation where you have some disgruntled people. It’s sour grapes,” Ferry said.

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However, Plambeck said the objective of the complaint was not to attack Darcy, Ferry or Smyth.

“In the last two elections there has been a lot of misinformation, an attempt to win at any cost,” Plambeck said. “What we hope to accomplish is to discourage this type of campaign tactic in our city.”

As a matter of policy, officials of the Fair Political Practices Commission will neither confirm nor deny that a complaint has been filed. Once a complaint has been filed, the commission will decide within 21 days whether to conduct an investigation, said FPPC spokesman Gary Huckaby.