Here are the contributions Merced’s Gray reported too late, FPPC says

Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, faces a potential fine of $8,500 for four counts campaign violations from his race in the 2014 election, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Gray and his committee, Gray for Assembly 2014, are accused of not filing paperwork in the required time for late contributions and for a contribution exceeding $5,000, as well as accepting a contribution larger than the allowed limit, according to FPPC.

The violations were found in an audit by the Franchise Tax Board, according to the commission.

The violations were errors made by bookkeepers and not made directly by Gray, according to Mike Lynch, Gray’s campaign manager. “They’re bookkeeping errors,” he said. “We have taken steps to fix those.”

The treasurer and accountant in charge of the bookkeeping at the time no longer work for Gray, Lynch said. “Adam takes full responsibility for it,” Lynch said.

Gray and his committee did not file a 24-hour report for $24,884 in contributions made on April 29, 2014, toward the Proposition 41 campaign, the veterans housing measure, according to the filing.

Four separate contributions amounting to $12,700 he received also were not reported in a timely manner, the filing said. Those came from Procter & Gamble Co., California Real Estate Political Action Committee, Caterpillar Employees PAC and Genentech Inc.

A $6,500 contribution from the AFSCME Union on July 18, 2013, was not reported before the deadline, according to the FPPC.

Gray and his committee also accepted $13,200 from IBEW Local Union 1245, which exceeds the $4,100 limit allowed at the time, according to the FPPC.

Auditors said the “investigation did not find any evidence that the violations contained herein were intentional,” according to the filing.

Gray faced a maximum penalty of $20,000, according to the commission. The potential fine goes before the FPPC on Aug. 17, according to records.

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Here are the contributions Merced’s Gray reported too late, FPPC says."