Gidaro Election Watch

Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 12:12:32 -0800
Subject: Complaint filed with FPPC
Cc: Debbie Davis <ddavis-[at]-davisenterprise.net>,
Stan Forbes <StanForbes123-[at]-aol.com>,
Michael Harrington <MikeH-[at]-dcn.davis.ca.us>,
kevin-[at]-wolfandassociates.com, Steve McMahon <steve-[at]-dcn.davis.ca.us>
To: Bette Racki <BRacki-[at]-ci.davis.ca.us>
From: Don and Julie Saylor <dnsaylor-[at]-dcn.davis.ca.us>
Status:


I have filed the following complaint with the State of California Fair Political Practices Commission pertaining to the "Late Independent Expenditure Report -- Form 496" filed on February 26, 2004 by an entity and individual named SG Consulting Group and Steve Guidero.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Saylor
1102 Kent Drive
Davis, CA 95616

February 27, 2004

Enforcement Division
Fair Political Practices Commission
428 J Street, Suite 620
Sacramento, CA 95814

To all concerned,

Attached is a completed Fair Political Practices Commission Violation Report Form and attachments pertaining to reported activities by an entity and individual named SG Consulting Group, LLC and Steve Guidero, Affiliated Entities. This entity has reportedly engaged in expenditures related to the March 2, 2004 election for the Davis City Council.
The specific nature of the activities are not known to me but are reported as expenditures on a FPPC Form 496 Late Independent Expenditure Report dated February 26, 2004 and transmitted via facsimile to Davis City Clerk Bette Racki at 5:51 PM on February 26, 2004. Separate Form 496 reports were filed for "Support" of three candidates: Stan Forbes, Mike Harrington and Don Saylor. The expenditures cited for Don Saylor are:

Phone banks -Estimate $1,027.58
Campaign Consultants - Estimate 900.00
Polling and Survey research - Estimate 600.00

The circumstances leading to the filing of this complaint are as follows. On February 26, 2004 I received an e-mail message at my home at 11:15 PM from a Davis resident describing the receipt of this report from the Davis City Clerk's Office. On the morning of February 27, 2004 I requested and received from the City Clerk's Office the attached Form 496 listing the expenditures identified above. After receiving this document I asked several people and determined that the named individual, Steve Guidero, is identified as a property developer with interests in a specific parcel of land near Davis.

Over the past two weeks I have received scattered verbal reports from acquaintances that a lengthy telephone survey was being conducted. The descriptions have been consistent that the survey required about 25 minutes to complete and that the questions appeared to be "pushing" the respondents in favor of certain candidates for the Davis City Council (not me) and away from certain proposals for land use development. The expenditures reported in the attachments appear consistent with those descriptions.

I believe that the survey described to me and the report of expenditures received by the Davis City Clerk's Office are deceptive campaign practices. I have had no contact with this entity or individual, have not been involved in any manner with the activities they expended funds to support and have not received any information resulting from any survey they may have conducted. I want no part of it. If this is not illegal it should be. Davis City ordinance (12.01.055) requires notification of the clerk and all candidates running for the same office of any independent expenditures in excess of $250 within 24 hours of the expenditure.
This entity appears to have violated the local ordinance and I believe may have violated provisions of the Fair Political Practices Act. I request that your office investigate the propriety of these actions and pursue any and all appropriate remedies.

I would welcome any questions and would be happy to provide you with any further information you may require to proceed with this matter.

 

Sincerely,

 

Don Saylor
(530) 758-0282
e-mail: dnsaylor-[at]-dcn.org

cc: Bette Racki, Davis City Clerk
Debbie Davis, Editor, Davis Enterprise