Allegations of campaign abuse surface in Agoura Hills
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Alleged campaign violations are under investigation again in Agoura Hills.

City Councilman Dan Kuperberg has called for a formal probe into the Nov. 6 election, accusing two groups of violating the city’s campaign laws by exceeding spending limits and failing to give full disclosure.

The Agoura Hills campaign ordinance requires the listing of name, address and occupation for any supporter who gives a contribution greater than $5.

The maximum individual contribution is $250.

The two groups named by Kuperberg—the Coalition for Competent Leadership (CCL) and Citizens for Responsible Growth (CRG)—denied any wrongdoing.

"We kept to the law," said Al Abrams, the CRG director.

City Attorney Craig Steele said his findings wouldn’t be available until the end of the final campaign-reporting period on Jan. 31.

"I believe based on the kind of mailers and money that was thrown around in the last weeks of the election that this (investigation) is entirely appropriate," said Kuperberg, who helped initiate a city workshop in 1998 to deal with such issues.

Kuperberg said CCL failed to inform the city that it was doing a flier mailing. The group is a registered Los Angeles County political action committee (PAC) that also mailed campaign endorsements in Westlake Village.

"It appears that they have filed some paperwork with the county as a PAC and it may be just to get around our city election laws," Kuperberg said.

The coalition’s Agoura Hills fliers endorsed incumbent Denis Weber and challengers Bob Wachs and George Christopher Thomas. One of the fliers attacked incumbent candidates Ed Corridori and Jeff Reinhardt. All three incumbents were victorious, however.

Ray Slayton, the CCL treasurer, didn’t say how much his group’s five fliers cost.

"We have freedom of speech, we can exercise our rights, and Mr. Kuperberg can do whatever he wants to do and the city attorney can check all they want to check, but they will not find any improprieties," Slayton said.

At issue is whether the fliers are considered direct campaign donations subject to the $250 limit. Slayton said he informed Weber he would write a personal letter on his behalf to the residents of Old Agoura, but that the candidates had no knowledge of being endorsed by the fliers.

PACs acting independently can exceed the $250 limit, Steele said.

CRG came into being for the purpose of mounting a referendum against Home Depot. Abrams said his group also contributed postal and printing costs for a mailer that supported the anti-Home Depot candidates—Dan Crisafulli, Ken Horton and Melvin H. Adams—but that none of the costs exceeded $250 per candidate.

"We’re not a political candidate support group, but they’re going to try to paint us that way," Abrams said.

Corridori said he hopes the city attorney’s investigation will be a "legal process, not a political one."

In addition to the campaign financing allegations, charges were made that the campaign signs of one candidate were taken down and replaced with those of another candidate. Those charges couldn’t be substantiated.

The city investigated alleged campaign abuses stemming from the 1997 election as well.

"The whole country has sent a very clear message about wanting to see campaign reform," said Jeff Reinhardt, a city councilman who voiced criticism over some of the fliers and signs used in ’97.

No campaign violations surfaced in 1999 as Kuperberg and fellow councilmember Louise Rishoff ran unopposed.