The Brief

Former California Assemblymember Evan Low used his technology-focused nonprofit to pay actor Alec Baldwin more than $227,000 to appear at a tech event and a separate fundraiser for Low, then deliberately tried to conceal the payments, the California Fair Political Practices Commission determined in a filing released Friday.

The agency charged with enforcing California’s campaign finance laws charged Low with 18 violations, including failing to report the payments on time and poor recordkeeping. As part of a settlement with the agency, Low and his political committee have agreed to pay a $106,000 fine.

Low, his attorney Amber Maltbie and an attorney representing the tech nonprofit did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations from CalMatters.

Low initially told investigators that Baldwin came to his Feb. 7, 2020, fundraiser on his “own accord” as a volunteer. But the commission cited numerous messages between organizers seeking to conceal the nonprofit’s payments to Baldwin in draft contracts.

The allegations were included in a scathing report released Friday by the agency in charge of enforcing the state’s campaign finance and ethics laws. It found that Low also missed the deadline to disclose almost $228,000 he raised for various nonprofits, failed to keep track of campaign transactions and illegally shut down his campaign account without repaying the nonprofit fees for Baldwin’s appearance.

Probe sparked by CalMatters reporting

The proposed penalty stems from a five-year FPPC investigation into Low and the nonprofit he founded, The Foundation for California’s Technology and Innovation Economy. The probe began the same day CalMatters published its third installment of its “Sweet Charity” series detailing the relationship between Low and the group.

The findings show a “knowing and willing attempt to skirt the law,” said Sean McMorris of California Common Cause, an ethics watchdog group. “I think the public at a minimum will feel deceived and likely that impropriety occurred.”

Low has agreed to the settlement, paid off the Baldwin-related expenses and disclosed those payments to settle the case, according to the agency.

Low, who co-founded and co-chaired the state Legislature’s tech caucus, raised money from tech giants for the foundation — a nonprofit overseen by three people closely affiliated with him. His then-chief of staff Gina Frisby served as its treasurer.

The foundation hosted annual policy summits where tech leaders and lobbyists paid five figures to privately mingle with state officials.

In 2020, Baldwin appeared at the tech policy summit in Cupertino for a lunchtime visit, CalMatters reported.

Later that night, Baldwin was shuttled in a luxury vehicle to a Chinese restaurant in the heart of San Jose’s Little Saigon as the “special celebrity guest” for Low’s ticketed fundraiser, which doubled as his Lunar New Year celebration, according to FPPC findings and a Facebook page of the event.

“For the Year of the Rat, expect big surprises and a big name,” reads the description of Low’s fundraiser. “Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on this special ‘presidential-esque’ event!”

Baldwin had a recurring appearance playing President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live at the time.

‘So two separate contracts but the money under one?

’The nonprofit foundation paid Baldwin to split his time evenly between two events, but tried to conceal the payment amount for the fundraiser, the FPPC found.

Staff who worked for both Low and the nonprofit proposed drafting two separate contracts with Baldwin, with one stating that he would voluntarily attend Low’s event, the findings show. But officials with Baldwin’s representative, Creative Artists Agency, appeared confused by the arrangement.

“So two separate contracts but all the money under one? But its not voluntary. If he doesn’t do it, he would still be paid his full fee,” a representative wrote in a 2019 email to the nonprofit on behalf of Baldwin.

Low told investigators in April 2023 that Baldwin volunteered at his fundraiser and that he was not involved in hiring the actor. But this January, Low admitted that he knowingly failed to disclose those payments and should have repaid the cost, the FPPC noted.

Low, a Campbell Democrat who represented Silicon Valley for 10 years in the state Legislature, unsuccessfully ran for Congress last year, losing to former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo after a close primary. He is now the president and CEO of the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.

In his legislative years, Low helped establish multiple legislative caucuses and chaired three of them, and his staff worked for caucus-affiliated foundations. Frisby, for example, filed legislative reports on funds Low raised for the tech foundation as the foundation’s treasurer while also serving as Low’s chief of staff. Danielle Sires, a consultant who worked for an Assembly committee Low chaired in 2018, served as a consultant for the tech foundation, the FPPC found.

The staff crossover between Low and the foundation speaks to a “clear coordination” between the two, McMorris said.

“It does emphasize the seriousness and overtness of the violation,” he said. “At all stages of this process, the same people were involved with everything.”

Low also was late — sometimes by almost two years — to disclose $227,500 he raised for nonprofits including the tech foundation, despite the law requiring most of these payments to be disclosed within 30 days, the FPPC concluded.

Given that Frisby served as a director of the foundation and Low himself established the tech foundation, information about those payments “should have been easily obtained and timely disclosed,” FPPC staff said.

Over the years, Low reported raising $505,000 for the tech foundation. Those funds are called “behested payments” — donations to an organization or agency at a politician’s behest. Ethics advocates have cautioned that the payments could give special interest groups access to lawmakers and ways to curry favor with them.

Low had raised more than $400,000 for the nonprofit before it picked up the tab on Baldwin’s presence at Low’s fundraiser, according to a CalMatters analysis of state campaign finance records.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.