| Topic: |
Science > Abortion |
| User: |
"Elmo" |
| Date: |
28 Jan 2004 08:26:11 PM |
| Object: |
Republicans steal another one. |
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/27/elec04.schwarzenegger.loans.a
p/index.html>
Schwarzenegger broke a state law during the closing weeks of the recall
race.
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger broke a state
law during the closing weeks of the recall race when he took out $4.5
million in bank loans to help his cash-starved campaign, according to a
preliminary ruling from a superior court judge.
If Monday's decision is upheld, the governor could be forced to pay
back the loans out of personal funds.
"The judge has agreed with us in a strongly worded position that these
loans were illegal," said attorney Lowell Finley, who filed a lawsuit
in October attempting to stop Schwarzenegger from funding his campaign
with bank loans that could be paid back by donors after the election.
Finley said the ruling from Judge Loren McMaster could spark sanctions
from the California Fair Political Practices Commission -- an agency
that recently threatened Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante with a $9 million
fine because of campaign infractions.
At issue is a borrowing limit included in Proposition 34 that restricts
candidates from accepting loans of more than $100,000 for their
campaigns. The restrictions are intended to prevent a candidate who
wins election from using his or her position to solicit
special-interest money to repay the loans.
In a statement, Colleen C. McAndrews, attorney for the governor,
pointed out that Schwarzenegger had relied on an October ruling by the
Fair Political Practices Commission that the restriction did not
include bank loans.
"The court today held that the Fair Political Practices Commission
misinterpreted the Proposition 34 loan statute which permitted Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger to loan his campaign committee $4.5 million," she
said.
McAndrews said the campaign intends to cooperate with the judge but
blamed the FPPC's "erroneous regulation" for the mistake.
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