San Jose’s Fair Campaign and Political Practices Commission has slapped Vice Mayor Magdalena Carrasco with $6,000 in fines for exceeding contribution limits, missing filing deadlines and failing to list identifying information about scores of individual donors during her re-election bid earlier this year.
The commission on Wednesday offered to reduce the penalty to $2,000 if Carrasco and her campaign manager, District 5 City Council policy aide Omar Torres, provide the missing names, addresses, occupations and employers of all contributors.
Santa Clara County Libertarian Party Treasurer Robert Imhoff, who filed the Aug. 10 complaint, urged commissioners to set the fine at $19,269 to reflect the combined amount of improperly documented contributions during the final fundraising period.
Attorneys Steven Miller and Katherine McGrath—the outside counsel from Hanson Bridgett LLP who reviewed the allegations and sustained four out of five—recommended no fine at all, saying the city’s election laws are “often complex” and donors frequently fail to provide mandated information about themselves.
Torres—the point person during the investigation, experienced campaign manager and, as trustee of the Franklin-McKinley School District, an elected official in his own right—blamed some of the missteps on bad advice from city staff. He said someone at the City Clerk’s Office told him the Form 497, which discloses late contributions, need not be filed within the 24 hours required by local law.
Though they have reportedly misguided candidates in the past, senior officials from the City Clerk’s Office begged to differ. Regardless, investigating attorneys said Torres should have known better.
“We find the Senior Deputy City Clerk’s account to be more credible and supported by documentary evidence that respondent received forms from the City Clerk's office providing the necessary and accurate information as to the timing requirements for filing a Form 497,” Miller and McGrath conclude. “Even if Mr. Torres’ account were credible, we do not think reliance on the City Clerk's office is a sufficient justification under these circumstances—in particular given that respondent acknowledged receiving a document that clearly sets forth the 24-hour reporting requirement.”
While reviewing the missing documentation about 33 donors identified in Imhoff’s complaint, investigators found dozens of additional violations from earlier campaign fundraising records known as Form 460s.
In 2017, Carrasco failed to list employment information about 55 donors, 39 of which were also missing addresses. In the first two reporting periods of 2018, she failed to include required information about another seven. That brings the grand total of such record-keeping violations to 96.
Torres explained the lapse by saying donors tend to give money online or with checks without providing the required information about themselves. Still, he promised to go back and fill in the blanks.
Investigators stressed the importance of complying with Title 12, the section of city code that requires identifying information about donors, which was written to prevent money laundering and to help determined whether a contribution came from prohibited businesses, such as card rooms, federally chartered corporations or foreign banks.
“We do not think that respondent should so easily shift responsibility for compliance with Title 12 to contributors,” Miller and McGrath state. “While it may be true that respondent’s website permits a person to make a contribution without providing the required information, we believe the technology exists that could easily prevent completion of a contribution transaction without providing all required information.”
Carrasco and Torres both skipped the hearing that took place four floors below their office at City Hall. In a statement through her chief of staff, Frances Herbert, the vice mayor said she appreciates that investigators did their due diligence, but disagrees with the commission’s ruling.
“This was a clerical error and we will track down all the missing information in the next 30 days,” Carrasco said. “I am very grateful for the large number of donors who have supported my re-election campaign. It has made it difficult to compile all the necessary regulatory information with such a small volunteer campaign team. We disagree with the assessment of such high fines that went against the recommendations from the professional investigator. I hope to have this all wrapped up within the month.”
Imhoff, however, said the campaign’s rule-breaking reflects poorly on Carrasco.
“The big thing that concerned me was their general disregard for the process,” said Imhoff, whose wife, Jennifer Dousharm-Imhoff ran against Carrasco in the primary. “They act like they’re above all this.”
That commissioners didn’t impose a larger fine was disappointing, too, Imhoff added.
“They gave her a loophole,” he said in a phone call the next morning. “So the message is, ‘Yeah, go ahead and break the law and you get to net $14,000—less, if you help us out with that missing information.’ That’s no deterrent at all.”
Commissioners Amarpal Randhawa, Madhavee Vemulapalli, Chris Peacock and Adrian Gonzales and Deputy City Attorney Mark Vanni (back left to right) seated across from outside investigator Steven Miller. (Photo by Robert Imhoff, via Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County)
Below are the conclusions of the evaluation presented to the elections commission.
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Allegation 1. Respondent did not comply with Section 12.06.215 because it received one contribution in excess of $600.00. Respondent indicated on the Form 460 filed on July 31, 2018, that it intended to refund the excess contribution and in fact returned the excess contribution on August 30, 2018. We believe the return to be motivated by a desire to comply with Title 12, and not just in response to these Complaints. Nevertheless, under the Municipal Code’s specific rules regarding enforcement of the contribution limits, the return occurred too late to erase the violation.
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Allegation 2: Respondent did not comply with Section 12.06.910 because it failed to file a Form 497 within 24 hours of receiving a “late contribution” exceeding $1,000.00 in the aggregate. The Respondent ultimately returned the triggering “late contribution”—had it immediately done so, there would have been no need to file a Form 497 in the first place.
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Allegation 3: Respondent did not comply with Section 12.06.235 because it failed to obtain the address, occupation, and employer information prior to depositing contributions into a campaign account.
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Allegation 4: Respondent did not violate section 12.06.290 because it did not receive contributions after the end of the campaign contribution period.
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Allegation 5: Respondent did not comply with Section 12.06.910 because it filed its amended Form 410 more than 10 days after receiving $2,000.00 or more into its campaign account. Respondent ultimately filed an amended Form 410 noting the correct date of qualification.
Recall she was fined for East side Union High School violations last year.
Omar wins the Kavanaugh award for witness cooperation, “It is someone else’s fault.”
Maybe Kevin can provide them.
“Carrasco and Torres both skipped the hearing that took place four floors below their office at City Hall.”
We all know Omar couldn’t make it because he was either getting coffee for Magdalena, photographing M trying to appear busy in the district, hanging with uncle KDL to squeeze more outside money from him, or deciding which office to cowardly not run for next. He’s all too predictable these days. Keep trying to play the victim Omar! Look in the mirror before blaming others. Sad!
Don’t blame the dutiful City Clerks!
Omar Torres should be “fired” from all positions of responsibility.
Enforce the $19,269 dollar fine.
By the way, District 5 is the premiere slum of San Jose. [District 3 is a close second.]
David S. Wall
https://youtu.be/E5RDEXpc8OY
Dedicated to Omar
Omar Torres wanted to run for Water Board.
He is either a crook
Or a coward
Or both
Forget the ‘Circus Show’ in Washington DC! We got our very own clowns running the show up in the 14th floor at 200 E. Santa Clara St, San Jose CA 95113!!!!!!
18th floor, but yes.
I second Omar’s comment. Some one should look into the 14th floor – the dutiful Clerks Offices no more.
What about the Independent Expenditure commuters? Money from casinos!
Oh, shall we also notice Nevada congressman Ruben Kihuen gave money
Ruben is one of legislators who had a loose zipper. Another buddy of fundraiser deleon, who has a blind eye, and a very loose zipper.
Omar Torres does not care about disclosure.
https://youtu.be/_awAH-JJx1k
That is his mantra. Carrasco wanted her staff to be all about the money. He does not even know where District 5 is. Just the money.
I did not vote for her. Now shes being an example to everyone else that is in office after shes gone.
Torres is an elected official, Carrasco took two years to file East Side Union Reports, not only would Torres and Carrasco sell out District 5, they would send it cash on delivery. While people tell lies, they tell half lies. While a person who tells lies hides the truth, Torres and Carrasco who both tell half lies have forgotten where they put it.
I do think there needs to be some changes in how we donate online. I had a horrible time on some of the sites getting my information in. I had to call several campaign headquarters and give them my information over the phone. I was pissed about that and I still am.
Another thing, it did not allow us to put in disabled, or give us another option for occupation. You had to put in unemployed!
I also had problems with information that I put in disappearing! What a frustrating way to donate!
Regardless of what information you provided. When a candidate/treasurer submit the information to the FEC and city they are required to fill this information; the (required) electronic filing systems do not allow for blank entries. Omar Torres had to deliberately enter in “space” to put a blank entry.
Loudmouth Clown Torres needs to be in jail. Her entire staff is a joke.
Carrasco office and the City Clerk has no record of Torres contacting anyone for advice.
Torres is lying.
He feels out his own for Franklin McKinley. Torres is a liar. Carrasco is the Queen of Liars
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/09/28/san-jose-council-aide-calls-candidate-as-evil-as-donald-trump/
When Omar had to apologize in 2016, the Vice Mayor assured the public that she would “have a conversation with Omar”. Maybe that talk included a high-five and promise he would be her re-election campagin Treasurer?
He’s a bully. More often than not he’s a bully to women.
Not only does Carrasco keep him around but so does the school board he sits on.
What message does it send to the kids to keep electing people like this?
Do council aides have access to paper? So Omar cannot write it down and hand it over? He is just a little knight who ate a big breakfast and now teacher has told him to grow up.
The real story is that Omar entered all of it correctly, but Campos operatives along with Shirakawa got hackers from Burdundi to eliminate the data.
Was Omar Torres not paying attention just a couple years ago when all of those candidates got in trouble for not filing their From 497’s within 24 hours? It wasn’t just one news story, it was a complete saga, and he was around for all of it. OMAR, pay attention! His assertion that the city clerk’s office gave him the wrong information is so implausible given the history around this very specific form and the city clerk’s past handling of it. To me, that’s the most ridiculous part of all of this. This is an expensive mistake which should have been so obvious to avoid, Carrasco should give Omar a talking to about learning from others and taking responsibility for your mistakes. Blaming City staff is not a good look, and it does not look good for the neutral arbiter to be calling him out as not credible. If he just took responsibility and said, “Yeah, I made a mistake,” this would be such a different story. As a public official he should have the maturity to hold himself accountable for his mistakes.
Just blame the Russians… the democrats did it.
While I do not always agree with the positions the Vice Mayor Carrasco takes, I find her to be very valuable to San Jose because she is authentic and cares about the people, all people, doesn’t matter who you are.
So what if some addresses were missing, they will get that fixed.
Sounds like the entire investigation and fine was just sour grapes from others trying to defame the lady who does so much for our city.
For me, and I speak for many, Magdalena Carrasco is an inspiration and I say, such campaign issues are nothing out of the ordinary. I hope she moves up in politics too. I do.
Resident of San Jose
Omar sure does well writing replies, but not filling out forms. As for Carassco, what was served for District 5 for asking for Yankee game tickets. She is not an Athletics fan?
“So what if some addresses were missing, they will get that fixed.”
Why even bother doing all of this FPPC paperwork then? By this logic, are you suggesting we should throw out the, “Follow the money” transparency that was put in place in 1978?
It doesn’t matter if she saved orphanages – No one should be “above” the rules. These are not arbitrary rules set up just to make things complicated they are there to assure elections are not swayed by inappropriate money or influences. Nor was this just a “few addresses”. This was over 90 different donations with no way of verifying who the money came from.
Its bad enough she took money from billboard media companies, like Out Front Media, and turns around and supports relaxed billboard rules. If she represented District 5 then she might have thought twice about that after the community made a big fuss about having billboards showing marijuana services. Thats with documented money.
Imagine what policies could be swayed if elected officials could take money from hundreds of “John Doe”‘s with no documentation of who they are.
The independent committee received money from casinos. Carrasco received money from a Nevada congressman known for groping.
How many Carrasco mob members does it take to get a campaign fine?
John Greasy Nose Stallman
Omar Blame it on the Kellys Torres
Kevin Lego Man Deleon
Magdalena Veruka Salt Carrasco
Sam the Man Liccardo
5
What has Omar Torres for school kids, nothing. District 5, nothing. The City of San Jose. Nothing.
He blames the city staff
Attacks Oliverio, Davis
The most useless council aide attached to the most useless council member, who now wants to bring back massage parlors, because ex hubby Deleon needs the cash, and since he has too many exstaffers after him with Me too, he needs a new place for happy endings.
A blantant disregard for the rules. Pathetic excuses, Torres should be let go.