Not an Independent Expenditure - a scam

I agree with the prior post that if silly campaign contribution limits were rescinded, and the first amendment actually respected, none of this would be necessary. But I disagree that this issue is not important. Given the current context, candidates hoping to earn the public trust should still not lie, hide, and play games.

Newport Beach voters should be warned that the secret committee formed by Jack Croul to support District 7 council candidate Dolores Otting has formed a phony taxpayer group, likely to be the source of hit piece mailers in the future.

As reveled in official filings, on September 30, the Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods, the Croul front group provided a $3,000 contribution to the previously non-existent Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association. A political committee ID number for this group was reported as “pending”.

By funneling money to this committee, Croul is able to hide his personal funding disclosure, which would otherwise be required to be printed on the mailers. Since the major funding came through the first front group, the Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association would only report “major funding by the Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods” not Croul. The association of course has nothing to do with Los Alamitos or taxpayers.

Using multiple committees to wash contributions is a tried and true technique to hide the real source of contributions.

To date, despite a $500 contribution limit in Newport Beach, Jack Croul and his family have funneled over $27,000 to Dolores Otting, more than all her other contributors combined. The money we all give to candidates is a matter of public record. Croul and Otting seem to think they can work around it.

This is not the biggest reason to vote against Dolores - there are plenty of others. But this is a big deal to those who want to be talked to straight up. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.