Merced’s Gray fined for campaign violations, FPPC says

The Fair Political Practices Commission issued an $8,500 fine on Thursday to Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, for campaign violations during his race in the 2014 election.

Gray and his committee, Gray for Assembly 2014, did not file necessary paperwork for late contributions it made to another campaign or for a contribution it received exceeding $5,000. Another count was for accepting a contribution larger than the allowed limit, according to FPPC.

The violations were errors made by bookkeepers and Gray did not object to the process from FPPC, according to Mike Lynch, Gray’s campaign manager. The treasurer and accountant in charge of the bookkeeping at the time no longer work for Gray, Lynch said, adding the assemblyman “takes full responsibility.”

“They won’t happen again,” Lynch said.

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

Gray’s former treasurer, Douglas L. White, serves as the city attorney for the cities of Dixon and Sonora, as well as deputy city attorney for the cities of Oakdale, Patterson and Riverbank, among other duties, according to his website.

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.

Gray faced a maximum penalty of $20,000, according to the commission. The violations were found in an audit by the Franchise Tax Board, according to the commission.

This story was originally published August 19, 2017 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Merced’s Gray fined for campaign violations, FPPC says."