Anaheim Insider here.

Last week, I dismissed Cynthia Ward’s threat to file an FPPC complaint against Kris Murray. Ward is president of secretive non-profit she created called CATER. She alleges Murray violated the FPPC’s mass mailing regulation when the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce sent out an e-mail informing members about a Murray campaign fundraiser. Ward reacted by saying her complaint was “a reality not a threat” and presenting the reasoning for her complaint against Murray:

“Chamber accepts public funds. Check. Tangible item. Check. Mailed to at least 200 addresses. Check. Public official name and/or photo included. Check. Official participated in the mail piece. Check.”

Ward’s reasoning is faulty and will get bounced by the FPPC. But if Ward really believes what she is saying, then she should also file a complaint against Mayor Tom Tait because of all the invitations the Chamber sent out promoting the Anaheim State of the City event “featuring Mayor Tom Tait.” It meets everything on Ward’s checklist.

If Ward is consistent and really motivated by concern for holding elected officials accountable to the law, then she’ll file an (equally without merit) FPPC complaint against the Mayor, as well. She won’t do that, of course, which will expose her motivation motive as purely political: she’s trying to damage Kris Murray politically. Ward hopes to force Murray to spend campaign funds fighting an FPPC complaint, like she did with her lawsuit against council candidate Steve Chavez Lodge. She lost that case, on balance, but bled Lodge’s campaign of money that would have gone to campaign mail.

In this case, it’s a false hope. Neither Kris Murray nor Tom Tait nor the Chamber have done anything wrong. There is no violation and Ward’s complaint will go nowhere.