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Look it up: Check candidates and elected officials for campaign law violations
The Fair Political Practices Commission, California’s campaign and ethics watchdog agency, receives thousands of complaints each year and opens hundreds of investigations into elected officials from the local level up to the governor.
Is one of your local elected officials, or a candidate running for office in your area, currently under investigation by the agency? Or were they investigated previously and, if so, what was the outcome? Type in their name below to find out.
One caveat: An investigation does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing. The outcome of an investigation determines whether there was a violation. outcome of the investigation determines whether there was a violation.
A recent CalMatters investigation of commission enforcement data found that:
- 19 of the 305 candidates in California races for state Legislature, U.S. House and U.S. Senate have an open case against them, including an investigation into Congressional candidate Evan Low’s relationship with a policy nonprofit that was opened as a result of CalMatters reporting in 2020.
- Two of the state’s eight constitutional officers are currently under investigation — Gov. Gavin Newsom for late filings and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara for allegations of “laundered campaign contributions” — and both won re-election in 2022 while their cases were still pending.
- Seven of the eight top constitutional officers — all but Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis — have had past violations, ranging from improper disclosures to illegal campaign contributions, according to commission enforcement records.
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Say goodbye to the 9ZZZ999 format. Sometime next year, California drivers will start receiving license plates with a reversed configuration.
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Each citation in the city of L.A. comes with a $293 penalty.
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The proposed project is in its infancy and still has to clear concerns raised by City Council members.
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California needs a lot more teachers and aides to fill transitional kindergarten classrooms, but advocates say early childhood educators who have the experience and desire to step into those jobs are deterred by the state’s credentialing system.
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The city parks department is seeking community input on a plan to replace a tennis court at Hermon Park with pickleball.
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A high school in the San Fernando Valley is in the midst of a $274 million renovation that demonstrates the longevity of school bonds.