Fresh off her victory in Nov. 4's City Council race, Councilmember Barbra Williamson has responded defiantly to claims of campaign finance misgivings, saying that she's not done anything wrong.

"I will stand on my record for the many years I have been an elected official," she told the Simi Valley Acorn. "Everything I have done is by the book. There's no shenanigans going on."

Contributions to Williamson's campaign were called into question just before the election when it appeared that several donations were from businesses owned or managed by the same person, a possible violation of local campaign finance laws that cap contributions from single donors at $1,000.

The three businesses in question are The Vineyards, an indooroutdoor venue at 2525 Stow St. in Simi Valley; the Malibu Conference Center; and the Morris Gerson Family Co. Inc. All three donated the maximum amount of $1,000 on July 7.

Glen Gerson owns Calamigos Ranch—also known as the Malibu Conference Center—and is the founder of Morris Gerson management. In 2006, he bought the hilltop parcel, formerly Dakota's, where The Vineyards and Candlelight restaurant now sit.

While campaign finance law states a candidate cannot accept donations totaling more than $1,000 from separate corporations that are controlled by the same person or persons, City Manager Mike Sedell said it is a question of who controlled the contributions.

"If (Gerson) controlled the contributions, then it is likely a potential violation," Sedell said. "And if he didn't control the contributions, then it is likely not a potential violation."

Five more donations of $1,000 each came from employees at The Vineyards.

Following the accusations, Williamson released a statement on her personal website, www.barbrawilliamson.com, which said that the corporate contributions in question were all made by "independent and unrelated California Corporations which operate with their own respective shareholders and boards of directors."

Regarding suspicions that some of the donors from The Vineyards might not be actual employees, Williamson said she guarantees the people exist.

"I know those people that work there," she said. "They are not waitresses, and they are not waiters; they are a management team."

Assistant City Manager Dan Paranick told the Acorn that if a business makes a $1,000 donation to a candidate, individuals associated with that company can still make their own contributions up to $1,000, as long as it comes from their personal funds and not the corporation's funds.

Sedell said that the council member's contributions were "appropriately disclosed" and that it is not the policy of the city to investigate campaign finance reports. As of now, the city is not looking into the allegations.

"No one has actually filed a complaint that would trigger any kind of investigation," Sedell said.

According to campaign finance law, the city attorney can bring civil action against Williamson if a violation is found.

The Citizens' Election Advisory Committee reviews all of the candidates' campaign disclosure statements. Sedell said CEAC is not an investigative body, however, and its goal is to simply make sure that all donations are publicly disclosed.