Assemblyman Baugh’s Trial Scheduled to Begin in June

SANTA ANA —  A Superior Court judge Monday tentatively set a June 8 trial date for Assemblyman Scott R. Baugh (R-Huntington Beach), who faces charges he falsified campaign reports during his first campaign for office.

Baugh pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday morning to two felony perjury counts and 10 misdemeanor violations of the Campaign Reform Act stemming from the 1995 special election, which gave Republicans control of the state Assembly for the first time in 20 years.

Judge Francisco Briseno scheduled motions in the case for March 30. Baugh’s lawyer said he will ask that the charges be dismissed.

Baugh, 35, has acknowledged mistakes were made by his campaign, but has insisted that he broke no laws because he relied on the advice of others and acted in good faith.

Prosecutors allege that Baugh lied on campaign reports to conceal his alleged role in a Republican scheme to split the Democratic vote by placing a decoy Democrat on the ballot in the election to recall and replace Republican Assemblywoman Doris Allen, whom Democrats had installed as speaker of Assembly.