Sources: CBE Chair Horton and Wife May Have Broken PAC Laws

INSIDE INGLEWOOD-Campaign financial forms for the 2015 Inglewood City Clerk candidacy reveal that the wife of California Board of Equalization (BoE) Chairman Jerome Horton, Yvonne Horton (photo), directly paid for a Political Action Committee (PAC) Independent Expenditure (IE) campaign that was directly financed by Yvonne's campaign. 

According to Federal Election Committee (FEC), "PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates or political parties."

The PAC, "Inglewood Residents For Good Government PAC to oppose Mike Stevens for City Council 2013," has as its treasurer Tina McKinnor–the current campaign manager for Assembly District 62 candidate Autumn Burke. That PAC was financed by AMAC, LLC, 114 S. Catalina Ave., Ste.101, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. 

Burke has been formally endorsed by Jerome Horton. 

AMAC was paid no less than $15,000 in 2013 for its campaign against Inglewood city council incumbent Mike Stevens. 

The McKinnor Group, identified as "CNS: campaign consultants" and whose address is 4001 Inglewood Ave., Bldg. 101, Ste. 162, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, was paid $2,500 by "Inglewood Residents For Good Government PAC to oppose Mike Stevens for City Council 2013."  

The address for WIN Votes on the "Yvonne Horton for [Inglewood] Çity Clerk 2015" California Form 460 form is 114 S. Catalina Ave., Ste.101, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. 

The Horton campaign paid no less than $17,230 to WIN Votes in 2013. 

The two Redondo Beach addresses are just a few minutes from each other. 

McKinnor is also the treasurer for the Stonewall Young Democrats, a PAC that directly contributed to Burke's campaign while McKinnor was Burke's campaign manager for a June election.  According to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s Web site, McKinnor is also the CEO of a firm named The McKinnor Group which was employed by a PAC named California Friends of African American Caucus which sent out a number of e-mails supporting McKinnor’s candidate, Burke.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jacky Lacey has been repeatedly notified of the apparent violations regarding McKinnor, Burke and the Hortons. To date, no action has been taken. 

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Presented with the evidence of McKinnor’s apparent FEC violations, Lacey's office has refused to investigate the activity stating, “[t]he information provided does not provide enough facts to warrant any type of criminal violation that the Office of the District Attorney would file.” On the D.A.’s Web site, it clearly states that “[b]ecause the integrity of the election process is crucial to a free and democratic society, the District Attorney’s Office must be vigilant in enforcing all laws that regulate the election process.”

On the same Web site, it is also stated that “the Public Integrity Division is charged with investigating and prosecuting allegations of voter fraud, illegal voter registration practices, illegal campaign practices, illegal campaign contributions and falsification of candidacy papers.”

Numerous requests to the Hortons were not answered.

 

(Randall Fleming is a veteran journalist and magazine publisher. He has worked at and for the New York Post, the Brooklyn Spectator and the Los Feliz Ledger. He is currently editor-in-chief at the Morningside Park Chronicle, a weekly newspaper based in Inglewood, CA and on-line at www.MorningsideParkChronicle.com.  Mr. Fleming’s views are his own and do not reflect the views of CityWatch.) 

-cw

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 81

Pub: Oct 7, 2014