Committee finds no ethics violations

Alicia Robinson

The ethics committee of the Orange County Republican Party announced

Wednesday that it has dismissed complaints against 70th Assembly

District candidate Cristi Cristich by opponent Chuck DeVore.

“The committee voted to dismiss all complaints,” committee

chairman Eric Woolery said in a statement. “The committee found that

both major candidates in the 70th District are running equally

aggressive campaigns.”

A complaint DeVore filed Feb. 9 alleged that Cristich committed

four violations of the party’s code of campaign ethics in a news

release, in a recorded phone message and in campaign mailers to

district voters.

Rep. Chris Cox had earlier criticized one of the mailers cited by

DeVore for implying an endorsement that Cox didn’t give.

Cristich campaign manager Dave Gilliard said he was pleased that

the complaint was dismissed.

“It’s great news, and obviously the committee took it seriously

and did a good job,” he said.

As the committee suggested, both candidates seem to have their

gloves off heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

In the continuing battle to fill district voters’ mailboxes, the

Cristich campaign’s latest contribution is a mailer that says DeVore

accepted campaign money from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission

Indians, the tribe that donated money to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and

Sen. Tom McClintock during the campaign to recall former Gov. Gray

Davis.

DeVore said he sent out campaign mailers paid for by the

California Republican Assembly Independent Expenditure Committee,

which did accept money from the Pechanga Indians. Election laws

require such committees to disclose their two biggest contributors

during each election cycle, DeVore said.

The California Republican Assembly spent $29,845 on mailers

supporting DeVore and $22,249 on mailers opposing Cristich, according

to online campaign information from the California secretary of

State.

The Pechanga tribe did previously give money to the California

Republican Assembly, but the tribe’s money didn’t pay for DeVore’s

mailers, he said.

Gilliard said he did see a connection between DeVore and the

Pechanga tribe, and it’s McClintock.

“From my standpoint, it’s too much of a coincidence that Tom

McClintock endorses [DeVore] and the next day mail starts hitting

from the same tribe that tried to give McClintock money to stop

Arnold [Schwarzenegger],” Gilliard said.

Promised apology mailer hasn’t appeared yet

Back in the 70th District Assembly race, DeVore said this week

that voters haven’t received the letter that Cristich’s campaign had

promised to clarify an earlier mailer. Gilliard said last week that a

letter would be sent to correct a mailer that Rep. Cox said was

misleading. Cox complained to the media about the mailer on Feb. 6,

claiming it misled voters to think he had endorsed her.

The corrective letter was sent last week to about 19,000 voters

expected to vote absentee, Gilliard said Wednesday. He hasn’t heard

any feedback about it yet, he said.

“I think the controversy was pretty well-known already,” he said.

A copy of the letter provided by Gilliard apologizes for the Cox

mailer.

“The mailer in question contained selected quotes from a letter I

received from the Congressman on January 5th of this year and to some

who received it conveyed the impression that he endorsed my candidacy

in the primary election when, I fact, it was sent to affirm his

neutrality in this race,” the letter reads. “I do not intend to

mislead anybody regarding Congressman Cox’s position and I take

complete responsibility for any misunderstanding my campaign’s mailer

may have caused.”

But at least one 70th District voter, Kent Moore of Corona del

Mar, said he hadn’t received the promised corrective letter as of

Wednesday. He and some of his neighbors got the mailer that led Cox

to complain, and they called the congressman about it, Moore said.

He noted that he has since gotten the Cristich mailer alleging

DeVore took money from the Pechanga tribe.

“I was glad she got her hand slapped [by Cox],” Moore said.

“[Cristich] needs to follow through on what she has said she would

do.”

Chambers combine for candidate forum

The Newport Beach and Irvine chambers of commerce will host a

forum at 7:30 a.m. Friday for candidates for the 70th Assembly

District and the 35th Senate District seats.

The event will be held at Newport Beach’s Sutton Place Hotel, 4500

MacArthur Blvd. The forum and breakfast cost $25 for chamber members

and $30 for nonmembers. To reserve a seat or get more information,

call (949) 729-4400.

A chance to party like it’s election night

The Orange County Republican Party will host a party on election

night featuring candidates and elected officials, live music,

entertainment and coverage of election results.

The event will go from 8:30 p.m. to midnight March 2 and will be

held at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach.