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FPPC Violation Alleged Against Acosta Campaign

A campaign official Monday denied the allegations in a Fair Political Practices Commission complaint against 38th Assembly District Seat candidate Dante Acosta.


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The FPPC complaint was filed right before Tuesday’s Primary Election in order to mislead voters, according to a statement from Sharon Bronson, campaign manager for Acosta.

The allegation accuses Acosta’s campaign with illegal communications between Acosta’s campaign and Grow Elect, “a political action committee founded in late 2011 that is dedicated to recruiting, training, advising, and funding qualified Latino Republican candidates for state and local offices in California.”

An FPPC official confirmed via email the complaint was filed May 19, with a response expected by June 3. 

The allegation “muddies the waters for voters,” according to Jennifer Van Laar, a campaign official for Jarrod DeGonia, who’s running against Acosta. The complaint accuses Acosta of coordinating with the Independent Expenditure Committee (Grow Elect), in an effort to conceal the source of a donation and skirt contribution limits.

“Dante Acosta has allowed his campaign to be bought by a single donor,” Van Laar said of the allegation in an email. “Under current limits, this group would only be able to give $4,200 (and they did) to Dante Acosta, but they were also to form an Independent Expenditure committee to spend nearly $70,000 towards deceptive mailers supporting Dante. We were in receipt of evidence to suggest that Dante’s campaign and the independent expenditure had been coordinating their campaign efforts in violation of campaign law.”

Acosta’s campaign flatly denied the allegation Tuesday in an email.

“There is nothing in the complaint that substantiates that Dante Acosta’s campaign had any coordination with the Independent Expenditure Committee, Grow Elect (IE),” the statement read. “Many voters have stated that they have received multiple pieces of campaign mail on the same day from both Mr. Acosta’s campaign and the IE — evidence that there has been no coordination in the mailing of campaign materials.”

There are five candidates seeking the seat held by Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, who is currently seeking the 21st California State Senate District Seat: 

  • Democrat Christy Smith, a member of the Newhall School Board.
  • Republican Jarrod DeGonia, an aid to L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.
  • Saugus resident Chris Garcia.
  • Mayor Pro Tem Dante Acosta, a Canyon Country resident.
  • Republican Tyler Izen, a former Los Angeles Police Department Detective.

 

Related story: KHTS Announces Endorsements; Get Out And Vote Tuesday

(Updates when the complaint was filed, names other candidates)

 

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FPPC Violation Alleged Against Acosta Campaign

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.