(CA) Campaign loophole closed

[question everything]

Saturday, June 26, 2004


By STEVE LAWRENCE

The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO – California's campaign watchdog voted Friday to limit the size of donations to candidate-controlled ballot measure committees, closing a loophole that has enabled Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to raise millions of dollars in six-figure contributions.

The Fair Political Practices Commission voted 4-1 to adopt a regulation that will put the same limits on donations to ballot-measure committees run by candidates and officeholders as voter-approved Proposition 34 imposes on contributions made directly to candidates.

But the change won't take effect until the day after the Nov. 2 election, which will allow Schwarzenegger and others to continue to raise vast sums for various ballot issue committees. Commissioners said changing regulations sooner would create a nightmare of accounting problems.

Chuck Bell, an attorney representing the Republican governor, opposed the regulation, questioning the commission's authority to act. "Proposition 34 contribution limits to candidates have not been interpreted to apply to candidate-controlled ballot measures," Bell said. "It's simply been assumed."

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http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/06/26/sections/region_state/article_148373.php