FPPC goes to court to force an incumbent candidate to disclose campaign statements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 02, 2020

For More Information Contact:

Jay Wierenga (916) 322-7761

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), California’s governmental ethics and campaign disclosure agency, on Friday, October 30, 2020, submitted a Complaint for Injunctive Relief and Monetary Penalties in Santa Clara County Superior Court against Anna Song and her election committee, Friends of Anna Song for County Board of Education 2020.

Song, who has been in office since 2000, is the incumbent candidate for Santa Clara County Board of Education, Trustee of Area 5 in the November 3, 2020 General Election. Song and her election committee have failed to file campaign statements required by the Political Reform Act related to Song’s 2020 re-election campaign.

Song and her election committee have not filed any preelection campaign statements related to the November 3, 2020 election, which has left the public in the dark about Song’s receipts and spending. Staff from Santa Clara County and the FPPC have reached out on numerous occasions to gain compliance, but to date, Song and her election committee have not filed these required campaign statements.

Song and her election committee have shown a pattern of not filing campaign statements. In a default action approved on March 21, 2019, the FPPC found that Song and her election committee failed to timely file two semi-annual campaign statements, due in January and July 2017, and imposed an $8,000 penalty against them. Song and her committee did not file these campaign statements until December 2018.

The FPPC asks the Santa Clara County Superior Court to order Song and her election committee to immediately file all campaign statements and reports required under the Political Reform Act as the result of Song’s 2020 re-election campaign. The Court may also impose monetary penalties of up to $5,000 per violation against Song and her election committee.

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