May 2025 Agenda

NOTICE AND AGENDA

Commission Meeting

Fair Political Practices Commission

California Fair Political Practices Commission
1102 Q Street, Suite 3050
Sacramento, CA 95811

Thursday, May 15, 2025
10:00 A.M.

View Agenda as PDF

Under Government Code section 11123(a), all meetings of a state body are open and public, and all persons are permitted to attend any meeting of a state body, except as otherwise provided in that article. The section further states that the portion of the teleconferenced meeting that is required to be open to the public must be audible to the public at the location specified in the notice of the meeting. Members of the public may listen to the meeting by phone by calling (669) 444-9171; access code: 9856036268 or watch the meeting via Webinar at YouTube. To participate in real time, visit http://mediasite.fppc.ca.gov/ or call (669) 444-9171; access code: 9856036268.

To view the new procedure to participate by telephone, visit our public comment page.

Persons who, due to a disability, need assistance in order to participate in this meeting should, prior to the meeting, contact the Commission Assistant at (916) 322-5745 (voice), CommAsst@fppc.ca.gov (e-mail) and ADACoordinator@fppc.ca.gov. TTY/TDD and Speech-to-Speech users may dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service to submit comments on an agenda item or to request special accommodations for persons with disabilities.

Adam E. Silver, Chair

1. Public Comment for Items not on Agenda. During this comment period, any person is invited to speak on any topic that is not listed on this agenda. Action may not be taken on any matter raised during this public comment period until the matter is specifically listed on a future agenda. Those who wish to comment on an item that has been listed on this agenda may comment when that item has been opened for consideration by the Commission and before any action is taken.

The Commission should avoid discussing and may not act on any matter raised during this public comment period, except to decide whether to place the matter on the agenda of a future meeting during the last item on the agenda.

2. April 2025 Minutes

Items on the consent calendar will be taken up and voted on as a group. A Commissioner may request that an item be removed from consent, in which case it will be discussed separately in the meeting.
 

Conflict of Interest

3. In the Matter of Donna Feiner; FPPC Case No. 23/227. Staff: Jenna C. Rinehart, Senior Commission Counsel and George Aradi, Special Investigator. Donna Feiner, a member of the Board of Directors for the Mendocino City Community Services District, made governmental decisions that had a reasonably foreseeable material financial effect on Feiner’s financial interests, in violation of Government Code Section 87100 (1 count). Total Proposed Penalty: $4,000.

Feiner - Stip
 

Mass Mailing at Public Expense

4. In the Matter of Cathedral City; FPPC No. 21/156. Staff: Alex Rose, Senior Commission Counsel and Jay Gehres, Special Investigator. The Respondent was represented by Eric S. Vail of Burke, Williams, & Sorensen. Cathedral City sent prohibited campaign-related mass mailings at public expense, in violation of Government Code Section 89001 and Regulation 18901.1 (2 counts); failed to include the proper advertising disclosure on mailers, in violation of Government Code Sections 84502 and 84504.2 (2 counts); failed to timely file an independent expenditure committee campaign statement for the period of January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021, in violation of Government Code Section 84200, subdivision (b) (1 count); and failed to timely file two 24-Hour Reports, in violation of Government Code Section 84204 (2 counts). Total Proposed Penalty: $31,500.

Cathedral City - Stip + Mailer
 

Campaign Late Reporter

5. In the Matter of California Workers’ Justice Coalition Sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Ramses Teón-Nichols; FPPC No. 20/1060. Staff: Vanessa Jimmy, Commission Counsel and Katelin Angeloni, Special Investigator. The respondents were represented by Richard R. Rios of Olson Remcho, LLP. California Workers’ Justice Coalition Sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 1021 is a general purpose committee. Ramses Teón-Nichols serves as the Committee’s treasurer. The Committee and Teón-Nichols failed to timely report subvendor payments on a pre-election campaign statement, in violation of Government Code Sections 84211, subdivision (k), and 84303 (1 count). Total Proposed Penalty: $1,500.

California Workers’ Justice Coalition - Stip

6. Motion to Vacate Default Decision and Order, In the Matter of Damian Morgan; FPPC No. 22/075. Staff: Dave Bainbridge, General Counsel. The Commission will consider a motion filed by respondent Damian Morgan to vacate the Commission’s Default Decision and Order approved at the February 2025 Commission meeting.

Motion to Vacate
Enforcement Response
Default
 

7. Prenotice Discussion of Proposed Amendments to Regulation 18404.1, Terminating and Reopening Committees. Staff: Karen Harrison, Senior Commission Counsel. Staff proposes amendments to Regulation 18404.1 to address recent changes to the law regarding the use of campaign funds for security expenses, remove an unusable provision, and update the reopening procedures. The proposed amendments are presented for pre-notice discussion and feedback, with potential adoption to occur at the August Commission meeting.

Staff Memo
Proposed Amendment to Regulation 18404.1
 

8. Legislative Update. Staff: Lindsey Nakano, Senior FPPC Legislative Counsel. The Commission will review and discuss potential sponsored and other legislation. The Commission may provide direction to staff regarding the same.

Legislative Update
 

9. Executive Staff Reports.

Enforcement Division. Angela J. Brereton & Christopher B. Burton, Assistant Chiefs. 
Audits and Assistance Division. Shrdha Shah, Chief.
Legal Division. Dave Bainbridge, General Counsel.
Administration and Technology Division. Jue Wang, PhD, Chief.
Executive Director Update. Galena West, Executive Director.

Executive Staff Report
 

10. Commissioner Comments and Proposed Future Agenda Items.

Note: Although any Commissioner may identify a topic of interest, the Commission may not substantially discuss or take action on any matter raised during the meeting that is not included on this agenda, except to decide to place the matter on the agenda of a future meeting. (Government Code Sections 11125 & 11125.7(a).)

[1]You can obtain further information about the meeting by contacting the Commission Assistant, 1102 Q Street, Suite 3050, Sacramento, CA, 95811, Tel. (916) 322-5745. Written comments on agenda items should be submitted to the Commission no later than 12:00 p.m. the day before the meeting in order to afford the Commissioners adequate time to fully consider the comments. Email comment letters directly to CommAsst@fppc.ca.gov. To participate in real time, visit http://mediasite.fppc.ca.gov/.

The agenda and related documents are posted on the FPPC website at www.fppc.ca.gov. Materials submitted by the public regarding each agenda item will be made available on the website. The Commission makes every attempt to post ADA compliant documents. If there is a document that is not compliant, please email the Commission Assistant requesting an ADA compliant version. 

Members of the public may listen to the meeting by phone by calling (669) 444-9171; access code: 9856036268; or watch the meeting via Webinar at YouTube.

The meeting location is accessible to the disabled. Persons who, due to a disability, need assistance in order to participate in this meeting should, prior to the meeting, contact the Commission Assistant at (916) 322-5745 (voice), CommAsst@fppc.ca.gov (e-mail) and ADACoordinator@fppc.ca.gov. TTY/TDD and Speech-to-Speech users may dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service to submit comments on an agenda item or to request special accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please allow three business days between the request and the meeting date.