Svorinich Agrees to Settle Ethics Case

City Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr. has agreed to pay $1,300 to settle charges that his 1997 campaign accepted checks exceeding contribution limits, according to documents released Monday by the city Ethics Commission.

In a stipulated settlement, Svorinich admitted that his campaign accepted 10 contributions totaling $2,550 that exceeded contribution limits set by city ethics laws.

Those found to have given more than the $500 allowed from an individual or corporation include the development firm Housing Alternatives, Capital Vision Equities and Thomas Nix Distributor Inc.

Svorinich could have faced up to $50,000 in fines, but the Ethics Commission staff cited mitigating circumstances, including the fact that the councilman returned the excess contributions when they were discovered by a commission audit.

The settlement agreement, signed by Svorinich and campaign treasurer Joseph Mardesich, says the two told investigators “their receipt of excess contributions was unintentional, inadvertent and without any intent to deceive, conceal or mislead.”