LB Chamber PAC (backing Watkins) vs. POA PAC & LA County AFL-CIO PAC (backing O'Donnell) Fuel Fourth Council Dist. Election Mailers & More

Candidate Supernaw (getting none of the above) says voters wonder what's behind all the money

(Mar. 16, 2012) -- Voters in LB's 4th and 8th Council district have been or will soon be hearing/seeing LB election messages from independent expenditures made in support of or opposing candidates in the 4th and 8th district City Council races...but not made by the candidates themselves or their election committees

Independent campaign activities are allowed (under the 1st Amendment)...but under state law must be genuinely independently of candidates or their campaigns (not coordinated with or made with knowledge of what candidate is doing)...and the sums collected by independent PACs for Long Beach races can exceed what the candidates themselves can accept from contributors.

That's the result of a 2009 lawsuit by the LB Area Chamber which begat a 2010 federal appeals court opinion striking down (as violating the 1st Amendment) LB's voter-enacted Campaign Reform Act limits on independent contributions.

PACs can be formed by any entity (unions or business interests)...and canons are firing from both sides in at least one LB Council race (and we presume independent expenditures will surface in others).

In ELB's 4th Council district, the LB Chamber of Commerce PAC ("Long Beach Jobs PAC") is backing candidate John Watkins (a retired LBPD Sergeant) who's on the ballot against Daryl Supernaw (Atherton Corridor Neighborhood Ass'n Pres./Sustainable City Comm'r) Daryl Supernaw while the LB Police Officers Ass'n and labor groups are backing incumbent Councilman Patrick O'Donnell (seeking a third term via write-in)

The Chamber PAC is a separate entity, legally and fiscally, from the Chamber's dues-supported membership body; the Chamber says no membership or general fund revenue are used to fund the Chamber PAC; the Chamber PAC runs on campaign contributions.

• On March 9, the Chamber PAC notified the City Clerk's office (legal disclosure requirement) that it had made an independent expenditure in excess of $250 opposing 4th dist. candidate Councilman Patrick O'Donnell (seeking a third term in a procedure under LB's term limits law).

  As previously reported by LBReport.com, 4th dist residents reported receiving robo calls and a mailer urging voters not to write-in 4th dist. Councilman Patrick O'Donnell.

• On March 14, the Chamber notifed the City Clerk's office that it made an independent expenditures on those days of more than $250 in support of 4th dist. Council candidate John Watkins.

Meanwhile:

• On March 13 and 14, the LB Police Officers Association PAC notified the LB City Clerk's office that it made independent expenditures on each those respective dates "in excess of $250" in support of Councilman O'Donnell.

  LBReport.com has separately learned that the LBPOA PAC has scheduled walks and phone banks in support of 4th dist. Councilman Patrick O'Donnell and well as 8th dist. Council candidate Al Austin. An email indicates "[a]ctive members will get $100 per day for participating in the scheduled Walks, and $50 per day for participating in the scheduled phone banks." [The Chamber PAC is supporting Mr. Austin's 8th district opponent, Lillian Kawasaki].

• On March 14, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO Council on Political Education) filed paperwork indicating an independent expenditure in support of Councilman O'Donnell for $500 for "Phone Banking (estimate)"

What's the reaction of 4th dist. Council candidate Daryl Supernaw to all this? Mr. Supernaw tells LBReport.com: "The feedback I've been getting from voters is they're pretty sick of getting all these expensive mailers and they really wonder what's behind all the money being spent in this 4th district race."

LBReport.com's current information on independent expenditures in the 8th dist. Council race is sketchy at this point; we'll report 8th district information as we learn it.

Stay with LBReport.com for continuing detailed coverage of the 2012 LB election cycle.