AZTOY
Member
By ERICA WERNER
Associated Press Writer
September 3, 2003, 11:58 AM EDT
LOS ANGELES -- A wealthy American Indian tribe plans to donate $2 million for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante's campaign for governor -- the latest example of a campaign finance loophole allowing big spending in the California recall race.
The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians said Tuesday it was donating the maximum $21,200 to the Democratic lieutenant governor's recall campaign committee, and spending $480,000 on an independent expenditure campaign to promote his "No on recall, yes on Bustamante" message in two Southern California counties.
The tribe, which operates a lucrative casino in San Diego County, said it was also putting $1.5 million into Bustamante's 2002 re-election campaign account. Because that committee was created before California's new campaign finance law took effect, it is not subject to the contribution caps imposed on newer campaign accounts, allowing Bustamante to avoid the limits.
Campaign aides said they believe the law allows them to transfer money from the older campaign account without contribution limits into the new campaign account that operates under the limits -- despite a memo last week from the state's Fair Political Practices Commission saying that is not allowed.
"Our attorney has discussed the matter with the executive director of the FPPC and continues to advise us of what to do and we're going to take that advice," said Bustamante's consultant, Richie Ross, who also works as a consultant to the Viejas Band.
Meanwhile, Bustamante and his leading Republican opponent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, both have established committees that have no contribution limits because they are not meant to promote their candidacies, but rather to advocate for or against the recall of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.
Campaign finance watchdogs fear it will be difficult for regulators to ensure that no money from the pro- or anti-recall committees is used for candidate campaigns, which are bound by spending limits.
But there is evidence that is already happening.
Records show that Total Recall, Schwarzenegger's committee to promote the recall, transferred $211,000 to Californians for Schwarzenegger, his campaign committee, and is helping to pay the salaries of several top campaign staffers.
"There's certainly a lot of potential for shenanigans and I think it's probably going to be an enforcement nightmare," said Jim Knox, executive director of California Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "We're going to see all kinds of creative ways of either fighting or promoting the recall which implicitly if not explicitly also advances their candidacies."
The contribution from the Viejas Band was the latest large tribal donation to Bustamante's 2002 lieutenant governor account. The Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians gave $300,000, and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians added $500,000 in recent days.
Indian tribes have become major political players in the three years since signing agreements with the state giving them the exclusive right to offer Nevada-style gambling in California. They have revenues of some $5 billion a year and have donated tens of millions to political campaigns.
Now the tribes are flexing their muscles on behalf of Bustamante, a longtime tribal ally who has indicated he opposes the 2,000-per-tribe limit on slot machines and believes tribes already give enough of their revenue to the state. Tribes and the state are currently in negotiations over raising the slot machine limit and how much revenue tribes should contribute.
Indian Tribe to Give Big to Bustamante
Davis angered tribes earlier this year by asking for more.
"I've said all along that Bustamante has to be careful not to become the Indians' candidate and it sounds like he's becoming the Indians' candidate," said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles.
Ross countered that Bustamante needs the money to compete with independently wealthy candidates like Schwarzenegger and former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth, another Republican.
Viejas tribal officials said Bustamante was the best candidate to replace Davis if he is recalled Oct. 7.
"This contribution is not a support for the recall, or a comment about Gov. Gray Davis," Tribal Vice Chairman Bobby L. Barrett said in a statement. "Our support comes from our people to a person we know as our friend, who we believe should be the next governor of California."
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press
STORY
Associated Press Writer
September 3, 2003, 11:58 AM EDT
LOS ANGELES -- A wealthy American Indian tribe plans to donate $2 million for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante's campaign for governor -- the latest example of a campaign finance loophole allowing big spending in the California recall race.
The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians said Tuesday it was donating the maximum $21,200 to the Democratic lieutenant governor's recall campaign committee, and spending $480,000 on an independent expenditure campaign to promote his "No on recall, yes on Bustamante" message in two Southern California counties.
The tribe, which operates a lucrative casino in San Diego County, said it was also putting $1.5 million into Bustamante's 2002 re-election campaign account. Because that committee was created before California's new campaign finance law took effect, it is not subject to the contribution caps imposed on newer campaign accounts, allowing Bustamante to avoid the limits.
Campaign aides said they believe the law allows them to transfer money from the older campaign account without contribution limits into the new campaign account that operates under the limits -- despite a memo last week from the state's Fair Political Practices Commission saying that is not allowed.
"Our attorney has discussed the matter with the executive director of the FPPC and continues to advise us of what to do and we're going to take that advice," said Bustamante's consultant, Richie Ross, who also works as a consultant to the Viejas Band.
Meanwhile, Bustamante and his leading Republican opponent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, both have established committees that have no contribution limits because they are not meant to promote their candidacies, but rather to advocate for or against the recall of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.
Campaign finance watchdogs fear it will be difficult for regulators to ensure that no money from the pro- or anti-recall committees is used for candidate campaigns, which are bound by spending limits.
But there is evidence that is already happening.
Records show that Total Recall, Schwarzenegger's committee to promote the recall, transferred $211,000 to Californians for Schwarzenegger, his campaign committee, and is helping to pay the salaries of several top campaign staffers.
"There's certainly a lot of potential for shenanigans and I think it's probably going to be an enforcement nightmare," said Jim Knox, executive director of California Common Cause, a government watchdog group. "We're going to see all kinds of creative ways of either fighting or promoting the recall which implicitly if not explicitly also advances their candidacies."
The contribution from the Viejas Band was the latest large tribal donation to Bustamante's 2002 lieutenant governor account. The Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians gave $300,000, and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians added $500,000 in recent days.
Indian tribes have become major political players in the three years since signing agreements with the state giving them the exclusive right to offer Nevada-style gambling in California. They have revenues of some $5 billion a year and have donated tens of millions to political campaigns.
Now the tribes are flexing their muscles on behalf of Bustamante, a longtime tribal ally who has indicated he opposes the 2,000-per-tribe limit on slot machines and believes tribes already give enough of their revenue to the state. Tribes and the state are currently in negotiations over raising the slot machine limit and how much revenue tribes should contribute.
Indian Tribe to Give Big to Bustamante
Davis angered tribes earlier this year by asking for more.
"I've said all along that Bustamante has to be careful not to become the Indians' candidate and it sounds like he's becoming the Indians' candidate," said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles.
Ross countered that Bustamante needs the money to compete with independently wealthy candidates like Schwarzenegger and former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth, another Republican.
Viejas tribal officials said Bustamante was the best candidate to replace Davis if he is recalled Oct. 7.
"This contribution is not a support for the recall, or a comment about Gov. Gray Davis," Tribal Vice Chairman Bobby L. Barrett said in a statement. "Our support comes from our people to a person we know as our friend, who we believe should be the next governor of California."
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press
STORY