Campaign Finance Overseers Named

Two former judges, a rabbi, a political science professor and an attorney were named Tuesday to an ethics panel that will oversee Ventura County’s new campaign finance law.

The Ethics Commission will monitor adherence to an ordinance -- approved in March by the Board of Supervisors -- that created voluntary spending limits for candidates seeking county office.

Named to the panel were retired Ventura County Superior Court Judge William Peck, retired appellate court justice Steven Stone, attorney Tina Rasnow, Rabbi John Sherwood, and Herb Gooch, a political science professor at Cal Lutheran University.

Rasnow, president of the Ventura County Bar Assn., said she volunteered to work with the commission as an example to other lawyers and was pleasantly surprised to be named to the panel.

“It’s important to have fair and honest elections,” said Rasnow, coordinator of the county court system’s Self-Help Legal Center. “It’s really crucial to our whole democratic process.

“Any time you’re dealing with issues of the law and fundamental issues, such as the right to vote, the process has to have integrity and be fair and impartial.”

Rasnow said she is not yet certain what the panel’s duties will include.

The commission was created because supervisors believed the state Fair Political Practices Commission was failing to investigate and enforce apparent violations of campaign finance laws.

Board members said they hoped to curtail the influence of well-heeled contributors on elections. Several cited a political action committee financed by a group of wealthy developers that poured $53,000 into a futile effort last year to defeat Supervisor Linda Parks.

Supervisors said it was important to have the law in effect by the March 2004 primary, when three supervisorial contests are on tap.

Dist. Atty. Greg Totten supported the idea of campaign finance reform but expressed concerns that portions of the law might not withstand legal challenges and might undermine his department’s investigations.

To clear up any confusion over the new campaign finance law, Supervisor John Flynn suggested the county sponsor a seminar for candidates to help them better understand it.

“We need to inform them about this ordinance so their eyes are wide open,” he said. “So they understand the ordinance and they can do the best job possible. So everyone has a good understanding as to what it means.”

Flynn said his wife, who serves as his campaign treasurer and knows the ins and outs of federal and state campaign rules, was confused by the ordinance.

“This is serious, serious business,” said Flynn, who is up for reelection next year. “If it is nebulous, maybe we should put a hold on the ordinance until the Ethics Committee has a chance to review it.”

But Supervisor Steve Bennett, who co-wrote the law with Supervisor Kathy Long, said it would be up to the committee to propose any changes.

The county law sets voluntary spending limits of $150,000 for supervisors and $500,000 for those seeking other countywide office, such as sheriff or district attorney. Candidates who agree to the caps can accept donations of up to $600 per person or political action committee. The limit drops to $300 for those who refuse the caps. Anyone who raises more than $10,000 must post finance reports on the Internet.

The five supervisors nominated three people each to serve on the panel, and retired Superior Court Judge Joe Hadden selected the finalists.

Other California counties have created similar bodies to oversee elections. The Los Angeles City Council approved a package of campaign finance reforms last month aimed at reducing the influence of well-funded special interest groups.