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COC Foundation Reaches Agreement In Measure E Late Paperwork Case

In response to an unmet financial Measure E paperwork filing date in 2016, Santa Clarita’s College of the Canyons Foundation has reached an agreement with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to pay a fine of $5,500 to the General Fund of the State of California. 

In June 2016, a ballot containing proposed general obligation bonds passed, providing $230 million in funds to the Santa Clarita Community College District for the purpose of expanding College of the Canyons. In preparation for this vote, the College of the Canyons Foundation (the “Foundation”) contributed to the campaign for this proposal. This campaign was commonly known as “Yes on Measure E”. 

See Related: COC Measure E Committee, COC Foundation Fined $14,500 For Campaign Violations

In the course of the campaign, the Foundation made three contributions over the 90-day period, totalling $150,000. The first of two claims made against the Foundation were regarding the three 24-hour contribution reports for these contributions. 

The funds for these contributions were acquired through nondonor funds, revenue collected through contracts between the college and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC and Bottling Group LLC operating as Pepsi Beverages Company. 

“On April 24, 2019, the Foundation late-filed the major donor campaign statement for the period covering January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016 after receiving notice from the Enforcement Division, disclosing the three late contributions that it made to the [campaign for bonds “Measure E”  in 2016]” stated the decision document. 

The second of the two violations was “(failing) to timely file a major donor campaign statement for the reporting period covering January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016, by August 1, 2016”. 

The FPPC noted that the violations were likely an isolated incident, related to the fact that the Foundation does not have prior experience with the Act that was violated, stating that “there is no evidence of an intention  to  conceal,  deceive,  or  mislead  the  public.”

On account of multiple violations, the proposed fine was $3,000 for the failure to timely file three 24-Hour Contribution Reports, and $2,500 for failure to timely file a Major Donor Campaign Statement. 

The College of the Canyons Foundation consented to pay this fine without any further review, to be paid to the General Fund of the State of California.  The agreement is set to be before the Commissioner at a meeting on April 15, 2021.

To read the full document, click here


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COC Foundation Reaches Agreement In Measure E Late Paperwork Case

One comment

  1. What I found very troubling is that the college district requires certain vendors (Barnes & Noble and Pepsi Bottling) to participate in a pay to play scheme that requires them to make donations to the COC Foundation . This was done with the full knowledge of the Trustees who approved the contracts.

    The funds went from the vendors to the Foundation,but the control for expenditure was left with the Chancellor of the college Dr. Dianne G Van Hook. The funds were never in full control of the Foundation.

    The Foundation is supposed to support the college, the college instead is supporting the Foundation. Trustee MacGregor estimates that the college subsidizes the Foundation with $1,000,000 per year.

    This scheme of shifting funds that should rightfully belong to the college, to the Foundation allowed the college to skirt the prohibition against taxpayer funds being used to support bond measure campaigns.

    This is quite shameful and the situation should be addressed by the Board of Trustees.

    This was not a simple case of the Foundation not knowing how and when to file campaign finance reports. It I was a well designed scheme to do an end run of rules and regulations meant to prohibit taxpayer funds being used in political campaigns.

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About Grace Halaby

Grace Halaby is a Washington State native currently attending The Master’s University and will graduate in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications- Creative Writing and Publishing. She joined the KHTS News Team in February 2021 and when Grace isn’t writing or studying, she can be found reading, or exploring California with her husband Peyton.