The state’s election watchdog agency is suing a Northern California Senate candidate for failing to disclose required campaign finance records.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) filed a lawsuit against fellow Republican Rep. Megan Dahl on Wednesday night seeking injunctive relief and financial penalties against Republican David Fennell, who is running in the 1st Senate District. The lawsuit was filed in Butte County Superior Court.
That means the FPPC is requiring Fennell to comply with state campaign finance disclosure laws and could impose cash penalties on her campaign. FPPC alleges that Fennell “has a history of failure to comply with California’s campaign disclosure laws.”
The lawsuit comes less than two weeks before Election Day.
Asked for comment, Fennell said he stopped by the FPPC office to sort out the missing documents.
“If it’s lost, we’ll track it down and make sure it’s available by Monday morning at the latest,” he said.
Fennell also questioned the motivation for the legal challenge days before the election.
“I think the timing is interesting,” he said.
Senate District 1 stretches across NorCal, from Yuba City to Yreka. The district is currently represented by Megan Dahl’s husband, U.S. Sen. Brian Dahl. Term limits prevent him from seeking re-election.
The FPPC is an independent, bipartisan commission comprised of members from multiple political parties.
“FPPC’s aggressive pre-election program is designed to ensure voters have the information they need to make informed decisions at the polls,” said FPPC Executive Director James Lindsay. he said in a statement Wednesday. “While our goal is compliance, not punishment, we remain fully prepared to seek a court order to compel candidates to meet their legal obligations if necessary, as we did today with Mr. Fennell.”
