Bypassing LB's Campaign Reform Act Contribution Limits, Mayor Garcia's "2026 Lt. Gov. Committee," State Senator Gonzalez's 2019 Election Committee And LB Police Officers PAC Give $10,000 Each -- $30,000 Combined -- To LB Firefighters Ass'n PAC Which Swiftly Spent Over $5,700 (Thus Far) On "Independent Campaign" To Elect Candidate Zendejas

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Follow the Money In 1st Dist. City Council Election:

Councilman Rex Richardson Used His Contributor-Funded "Officeholder Account" To Give $1,000 To Zendejas Campaign And Two Add'l Organized Labor Entities Give $4,000 To Zendejas Campaign

LB Area Chamber of Commerce Gives $1,000 To Morquecho Campaign

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Amnesia file: In June 1994, LB residents voted to enact a LB "Campaign Reform Act" which recited in part:

Monetary contributions to political campaigns are a legitimate form of participation in the political process, but the financial strength of certain individuals or organizations should not permit the exercise of a disproportionate or controlling influence on the election of candidates.
The rapidly increasing costs of political campaigns have forced many candidates to raise larger and larger amounts of money from individuals and interest groups with a specific financial stake in matters before the City Council. This has caused a public perception that votes are being improperly influenced by monetary contributions. This perception is undermining the credibility and integrity of the governmental process...
The integrity of the governmental process, the competitiveness of campaigns and public confidence in local officials are all diminishing...

In special elections (such as the upcoming Nov. 5 special election to fill the 1st Council district vacancy), the LB law allows campaign contribution to candidate campaigns of up to a total of $1,000 from individuals and up to a total of $2,500 from political committees.

(Oct. 20, 2019, 4:55 p.m.) -- LBREPORT.com continues our detailed "Follow The Money" coverage of LB's 1st Council election below. Vote by mail ballots are currently flying (with Nov. 5 "election day") in the no-runoff race to fill the vacated (former Gonzalez) 1st Council district seat with citywide voting power on City Hall spending priorities, development decisions and land use/density/housing and homeless policies.

Re Mary Zendejas:

Bypassing the LB Campaign Reform Act's $2,500 limit on political committee contributions to candidate-run campaigns, "Robert Garcia for Lt. Governor 2026" (Sept. 13), the "Long Beach Police Officers Ass'n PAC" (Sept. 19) "Lena Gonzalez for state Senate 2019" (Sept. 23) each gave $10,000 -- for a total of $30,000 combined -- to the Long Beach Firefighters Association Local 372 PAC. The Firefighters Ass'n PAC then swiftly (between Sept. 20 and Oct. 8) spent $5,761 in an "independent expenditure campaign" (legally barred from coordinating or cooperating with the candidate campaign) to support electing Mary Zendejas to LB's 1st dist. Council seat. This included (to date) "support cards," "mailers" and "canvassing." (The Firefighters Ass'n PAC can legally use the $30,000 combined contributions for its independent campaign to elect Zendejas OR for other campaigns or for other political, legislative or governmental purposes.)
Oct 10: LB Councilman Rex Richardson gave $1,000 to the Zendejas campaign from his contributor-funded "officeholder account." [Councilman Richardson used Council-majority enacted changes (for which he voted) that in 2015 tripled the amounts LB's Mayor/Council incumbents can annually collect from contributors to their "officeholder accounts" and in 2017 enabled the incumbents to politically weaponize their "officeholder accounts" to support candidates seeking other offices. He's previously used his "officeholder account" to give $400 contributions to the 2018 re-election campaigns of LB City Council incumbents Roberto Uranga and Stacy Mungo and gave $2,000 to support electing Juan Benitez to LB's School Board.]
Oct 10: Laura Sanfilippo (Huntington Beach) gave $1,000 to the Zendejas campaign
UA Journeymen & Apprentices Local 250 (Gardena): $2,500
Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council (Los Angeles): $1,500

Scroll down for further.

These contributions to support Zendejas come on top of other recent large contributions to her campaign account previously reported by LBREPORT.com:

$1,000 (9/30) from L.A. County "Bizfed" ("Voice of L.A. County Employers Since 2008"; group opposed phase-out/ban of Modified Hydrofluroic Acid (MHF) at LB-adjacent Valero refinery and Torrance (ToRC) refinery)
$2,500 (10/1) from "O'Donnell for Assembly 2020"
$2,500 (10/4) from the Int'l Union of Operating Engrs Local 12 (Pasadena)

Re Ray Morquecho

Oct. 18: Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce PAC: $1,000 (Oct.18)
Oct. 16: Keegan Pabst (property supervisor Pabst/Kinney): $1,000 ($500 on 10/16 and $500 on 8/19)

These follow other recent large contributions to Mr. Morquecho previously reported by LREPORT.com from

Apt. Ass'n CA Southern Cities ($1,000) (10/3)
CA Apt. Ass'n ($1,500) (10/3)

As also previously reported by LBREPORT.com, candidate Misi Tagaloa received a $1,000 contribution from Oakwood Academy in Long Beach on Oct. 3.

Sponsor

For details of earlier contributions to multiple candidates in the race (previously reported by LBREPORT.com) click here.

Sponsor

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