Williamson found in violation of city's campaign finance laws

Barbra Williamson City Councilmember Barbra Williamson handed over a $2,000 check to the city last week following the completion of an investigation into campaign contributions she collected during the 2008 election season.

After launching an inquiry about two months ago, the city attorney's office found that Williamson was in violation of local campaign finance laws, which cap donations from a single donor at $1,000.

The rules state that a candidate cannot accept donations totaling more than $1,000 from separate corporations whose expenditures or contributions are financed, maintained or controlled by the same person or persons.

The donations that drew speculation last November were from three businesses: The Vineyards, located in Simi Valley on Stow Street; the Malibu Conference Center; and the Morris Gerson Family Co. Inc. Each gave the maximum $1,000 in July.

"It turned out that the same person was the CEO of all three organizations," said Marjorie Baxter, acting city attorney. She said all the businesses are owned or partly owned by Glen Gerson.

"The donor was controlling all three corporations, so that only meant that two of (the donations) were violations because the first one was within the parameters of the ordinance," Baxter said.

The Committee to Reelect Barbra Williamson also received five donations from employees at The Vineyards, which is associated with Candlelight Kitchen and Bar, but the investigation did not focus on those donations.

Local campaign finance law says if a business makes a $1,000 donation to a candidate, individuals associated with that company can still contribute up to $1,000 of their personal funds.

Williamson, the longest standing member of the City Council and current mayor pro tem, said she thought the outcome was fair but maintained that any wrongdoing on her part was not intentional.

"I'm just glad it's over," she said. "I'm obviously not owning up to any liability or responsibility. I thought I did what the rules said to do, and I think (the code) is in obvious need of clarification."

This was the first time the city investigated a candidate's campaign finances.

Candidates must return donations that exceed $1,000 within 15 days of receipt. If that isn't done, the contribution can be looked at as a potential violation by the city attorney's office, as in this case.

The city and Williamson settled out of court, and the council member paid the $2,000 fine— the amount of the unlawful contributions—to the city's general fund.

Baxter said she received a check from Williamson on Feb. 2.

"Once it's a violation, any amount collected in court goes to the city's general fund," Baxter said. "And because it was a settlement, we settled for her to return the money . . . to the general fund."

The maximum the city could have received if it had taken the matter to court is three times the amount of the illegal donation, or $6,000. Baxter said it was in the city's "best interest" to settle out of court.

"We weren't sure that we would receive any more than $2,000, and we would spend quite a bit in attorney's fees, so we were willing to accept the $2,000 as settlement," she said.

Although Williamson and her fellow council members approved the current code pertaining to election contributions in 2001, Williamson said she hopes the council will put together a committee of residents to revise the regulations and make the complicated ordinance easier to understand.

"I think there's got to be a better way to do it. So I think if we have a blue ribbon committee to say this is what we want to have done, it's going to make it a little bit easier," she said. "Actually pound this thing out so we don't have to have another problem next time we have an election."

The council said it would review campaign finance rules after the new city attorney begins work next week.