CA regulators allege ex-lawmaker violated marketing campaign finance regulation dozens of occasions

For years, former Democratic Assemblymember Evan Low of Cupertino raised cash for a tech nonprofit basis run by folks carefully tied to him, together with his former chief of workers.

Now, the state’s marketing campaign finance regulators say there’s possible trigger to consider that the identical nonprofit made greater than $113,000 in non-monetary donations to Low’s re-election marketing campaign in 2020, probably exceeding the state’s contribution limits, studies CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu.

That’s amongst dozens of potential state regulation violations recognized by the California Truthful Political Fee — an company imposing the state’s marketing campaign and ethics legal guidelines — in its investigation into Low, his marketing campaign committee and the nonprofit. The findings are from a commission-initiated, five-year investigation, launched the identical day CalMatters revealed the third installment of its Candy Charity collection inspecting the connection between politicians and the foundations for which they solicit funds.

The fee stated it collected sufficient proof to consider that Low did not well timed report greater than $227,000 it raised for 3 nonprofits, and that the nonprofit’s donations weren’t reported on time, as is required by state regulation.

The nonprofit, the Basis for California’s Know-how and Innovation Economic system, denied ever making the alleged contributions, and Low and his lawyer didn’t reply CalMatters’ questions.

The commissioners have the authority to find out whether or not these violations occurred. If the fee’s findings maintain true, they’d recommend that Low and the inspiration exchanged advantages, ethics advocates say.

• Sean McMorrisCalifornia Widespread Trigger’s transparency, ethics, and accountability program supervisor: “It’s rational for the public to come to the conclusion that it’s like ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours.’”

It could additionally increase authorized questions: The muse is a 501(c)(3) group largely prohibited by federal regulation from partaking in political actions, together with making contributions to campaigns.

Learn extra in Stella’s story.

Throughout the first week of his second time period, President Donald Trump issued a number of government actions to crack down on immigration. To make sense of the flurry of recent insurance policies, CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang breaks down which immigration insurance policies have modified to date and the way California is responding.

That features Trump’s actions to eradicate birthright citizenship; develop the attain of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (comparable to permitting brokers to make arrests at church buildings, faculties and different “sensitive locations”); and revoking pathways for immigrants to reach within the U.S. legally.

The insurance policies have been stoking worry amongst immigrant communities. One individual Jeanne spoke to, an immigrant citrus picker, stated she stayed house for a day after an unannounced January immigration raid in Kern County. She has since returned to work: “Everybody goes out with fear. But one has needs. And my needs are bigger than the fear,” she stated.

Learn extra right here.

Following the Legislature’s last approval of the measures final week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two payments Friday, setting apart $50 million to push again towards Trump administration insurance policies.

As CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff explains, $25 million will go to the California Division of Justice to battle the federal administration in court docket. Since Trump’s return to workplace, California has joined with different states in two lawsuits to date over Trump’s government orders to finish birthright citizenship and freeze federal grants.

The opposite $25 million is for funding native efforts that present authorized help providers associated to immigration protection, in addition to different disputes together with wage theft, evictions and office protections, in line with the invoice evaluation.

In comparison with the fanfare when Newsom first referred to as the particular session in November directing state legislators to “Trump-proof” the state, the governor held no public occasion for the signing of those two payments.

After the outbreak of the Southern California wildfires in January, Newsom has been lobbying the federal authorities for catastrophe help, which Trump and congressional Republican leaders have repeatedly threatened to withhold except California modifications its water and elections insurance policies.

Learn extra right here.