Group Alleges Tribes Broke Campaign Law

California Common Cause filed a complaint Monday alleging more than 300 campaign finance law violations by gambling interests, primarily Indian tribes, and candidates who received their largess between 1995 and 1998.

The report accuses Gov. Gray Davis of failing to disclose $169,000 in 1998 contributions, including $113,000 from the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, and $50,000 from the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians, both of which operate casinos outside Palm Springs. Altogether, the report says, candidates failed to report or misreported $395,000 in donations from gambling sources.

“I have no idea what they’re talking about. We report every political contribution we get,” said Garry South, Davis’ top political aide. South speculated that Common Cause confused contributions to the governor’s inaugural committee and Davis’ campaign committee.

“This is a typical Common Cause political stunt,” South said, calling the report “garbage.”

“They ought to be ashamed of themselves,” he said.

The report says tribal casinos, racetracks, card clubs and Nevada casinos gave $15.8 million to candidates for state office between 1995 and 1998. By comparison, the California Teachers Assn., among the state’s most powerful groups, donated $4.7 million during that period..

California Common Cause Executive Director Jim Knox filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging 332 campaign disclosure violations by gambling interests and candidates who took their money.

“It seems to be more widespread than anything we’ve encountered,” Knox said as he released the report titled “Stacking the Deck,” detailing gambling’s place as a top political donor to state politics. “What’s needed is campaign finance reform.”

Common Cause alleges violations by card clubs, horse racing interests, Nevada casinos and tribes that operate casinos. But tribes had the largest number of violations: 75, amounting to $679,000.

The bulk of the allegations involved failure to adequately disclose donations. Donors who give $10,000 or more, for example, are supposed to file “major donor statements” with the secretary of state and list all recipients of their largess.

Additionally, Common Cause charges that the Morongo and Agua Caliente bands in the Palm Springs area had 109 violations amounting to $150,000 in a slate mailer operation.

“Morongo has maintained a commitment to adhering to the state’s Fair Political Practices Act,” said Waltona Manion, spokeswoman for the Morongo band. “If there are any discrepancies, the tribe will do whatever is necessary to correct them.”

The $15.8 million in contributions to candidates were in addition to the nearly $100 million spent by tribes and Nevada interests on the most costly initiative in the nation’s history, Proposition 5, to legalize gambling on reservations. Proposition 5 won voter approval in 1998 but was struck down by the state Supreme Court.

The tribes and Davis responded by negotiating a gambling compact that was ratified by voters in March, making casinos on reservations legal and giving Indians the exclusive right to operate Nevada-style casinos in California.

The report identifies the top two recipients of gambling industry money as former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles), at $1.14 million, and Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco), at $1 million. One of the main jobs of legislative leaders is to raise money to keep their party in power.

Davis was the third-largest recipient, at $988,618. Three of the top 10 recipients were candidates in 1998 for attorney general, an office that is responsible for regulating gambling.

Tribes displaced horse racing as the biggest spender on state races in 1998, spending $7.6 million on candidates, compared to $1.5 million by horse racing and $2.3 million by Nevada gambling interests.

Three Indian tribes--the Morongo, the Agua Caliente and the San Manuel bands--donated more than $1 million between 1995 and 1998. Each of the three gave more than all the card clubs combined; the biggest card club donor was the Commerce Club, at $938,000.

Indian tribes, the report says, “have dramatically altered the political dynamic not only of the other gambling segments, but of every industry that hopes to utilize and influence the politics of the state.”

The report notes that tribes framed the issue “around notions of self-reliance, something seemingly the voters of California overwhelmingly endorse.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Top 10 Gambling Contributors, 1995-98

1. Morongo Band of Mission Indians: $1,705,331

2. Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians: 1,626,269

3. San Manuel Band of Mission Indians: 1,346,109

4. California Commerce Club: 938,004

5. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Intl. Union: 879,871

6. Quarter Horse Racing: 786,773

7. Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians: 596,116

8. Barona Band of Mission Indians: 591,464

9. California Indian Nation: 580,889

10. Hilton Hotels Corp.: 523,350

Source: California Common Cause