Newport PAC actions under investigation

California’s Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating actions by two Newport Beach political action committees in the weeks leading up to the November election, records show.

Initiated after Newport Beach resident and West Newport neighborhood activist Bob Rush filed complaints, the FPPC will look into two committees failing to divulge that local candidates were not behind the advertisements endorsing them.

The Newport Beach Firefighters Assn.’s political action committee failed to disclose on its mailers backing Councilwoman Leslie Daigle and Councilman-elect Rush Hill that the two did not fund or have a role in the advertisements, union officials acknowledged Wednesday.

“Quite frankly, I didn’t look deeply enough into it and made a mistake and didn’t put it on there,” said association President Brian McDonough. “We made a mistake, and we’ve been in contact with the FPPC. It’s not going to happen again in the future.”

Rush alleged a similar mistake by the PAC of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. On top of that, Rush argued they made a second violation when they did not report the cost of printing fliers or which company printed them.

“The chamber’s political action committee was not following the law by either underreporting or merging their expenses with the chamber,” Rush said in an interview. “If they’re not following the law now, what assurances do we have that the chamber and its PAC will follow the law with taxpayer moneys that will soon be funded directly to the chamber?”

It’s not as dramatic as that, said the chamber PAC treasurer, Rudy Baron.

The payments for the mailers were just listed on next month’s reports, Baron said.

He said the committee will work with the FPPC once it reaches a conclusion and contacts him.

The FPPC has not reached a conclusion in either case, according to documents on the FPPC website.