Kelly
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - Democratic candidate Chris Kelly has given another $2.5 million to his own campaign to become California's attorney general.
Kelly, a former Facebook executive, announced the donation Friday, while one of his competitors touted newspaper endorsements. Kelly had already contributed $9.6 million to his campaign, selling off shares of his Facebook stock to do so.
"I've invested heavily in this race -- using some of what California has given to me -- because I believe that my mix of experience in law, technology and public policy can help lead the state in a different direction," Kelly said.
Fellow candidate Kamala Harris had already urged the Fair Political Practices Commission to take a look into Kelly's campaign fund because of a loan obtained while selling stock.
"(W)e demand that the FPPC immediately investigate whether Kelly is improperly financing his campaign, and if it finds that he is doing so, to immediately seek an injunction or otherwise prevent Kelly from further spending any funds which were derived from this illegal loan," states the letter from James R. Sutton, counsel to the Harris Campaign.
"We also demand that the FPPC immediately investigate whether Kelly has failed to disclose sources of his income, and if it finds that he has done so, to immediately seek an injunction or otherwise compel Kelly to disclose who paid him millions of dollars to purchase his private investments."
Friday, Harris responded to the donation with a release that brings to attention the endorsements of the San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee.
Harris is the San Francisco district attorney. Other Democratic candidates include assemblymembers Pedro Nava, Ted Lieu and Alberto Torrico, attorney Mike Shmier and former Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo.
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.