Long Beach Hits GOP With Suit

The Long Beach city attorney filed a lawsuit Thursday charging the California Republican Party with violating city election law by spending $5,431 on behalf of Norm Ryan’s mayoral bid.

The lawsuit is the second filed by the city since the April 9 election and aims to stop “soft money campaign violations,” said City Atty. Bob Shannon.

State GOP chief Shawn Steele said Shannon “does not appear to be aware of Long Beach’s own campaign statutes or state law governing election activity. The CRP has a right to contact members of the Republican Party under the provisions of Proposition 34, which preempts local campaign law restrictions.”

But under city law, Shannon said, the state party could have given Ryan the $5,431 only if donations to the party are each $600 or less, and naturally they aren’t.

On April 17, Shannon sued an independent spending committee, California Citizens for Neighborhood Empowerment, which spent more than $25,000 on Vice Mayor Dan Baker’s behalf. Again, he said, once the group spent in the city race, it fell under the city ban on getting donations above $600.

That suit also named committee treasurer Kinde Durkee, who is also treasurer of Baker’s mayoral campaign. Baker and campaign manager Mike Orlito have not returned phone calls since then. A campaign spokeswoman said Baker had no comment because there is no connection between the committee and his campaign.

Because no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held June 4. The top vote-getter in April was incumbent Beverly O’Neill, a write-in candidate because of term limits. Baker received the second most votes. However, because O’Neill is a write-in, only Baker’s name will appear on the June ballot.