Kelly
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - One day before the primary election in a bitter California attorney general race, the Fair Political Practices Commission said there is no need for an investigation into candidate Chris Kelly's campaign.
San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, one in a crowded field of Democrats, had urged the commission to do so, drawing attention to a loan given to Kelly while he sold some of his stock in Facebook to finance his run.
"After review of the complaint and material provided by Chris Kelly, we have found insufficient evidence to warrant further investigation," wrote Roman Porter, executive director of the commission.
"Therefore, we are closing this matter without further action."
Kelly, a former Facebook executive, and Harris have been at each other's throats in the weeks leading up to Tuesday's primary, with Kelly ripping Harris over a recent ruling that found her office did not supply information to defendants, as it was required to do.
The ruling involves Deborah Madden, a crime lab technician who was convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in 2008. The judge said Harris' office did not volunteer the information to defendants, who could have used it to challenge Madden's credibility.
Harris' office said it relied on police to provide the information.
Before that, Harris had filed the complaint with the FPPC.
"(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."
At that point, Kelly had contributed $9.6 million to his own campaign. He recently gave another $2.5 million.
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.