Stop Dark Money
Last month we SUCCESSFULLY delayed an attempt to pollute local politics with more dark money. The District Attorney and Sheriff asked the Board of Supervisors to increase the contribution limits for their own elections by FIVE TIMES as high as the FPPC approved. In fact, this ordinance is proposed specifically because the state passed a new law to limit the influence of special interest groups like law enforcement and jail vendors. In response to that new law, the District Attorney, Sheriff, and Assessor want to be able to receive $25,000 from special interest groups we still need your voices to speak up against big money in local politics!
Special interests already make up more than 40% of campaign financing for these elections. District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and Sheriff Scott Jones seem to believe these donors should become even more important. The ordinance proposed by Anne Marie Schubert and Scott Jones would make their contribution caps among the highest in the state–almost as high as the governor’s own contribution limits used to run a statewide election.
Even larger counties have far lower limits!
LA County: $1,500
Orange County: $2,100
San Diego: $500
Santa Clara: $1,000
Kern County: $1,500
We know big money ALREADY influences our elected officials. We know that DA Ann Marie Schubert has accepted over $400,000 from police unions, including $16,000 in the days following the shooting of Stephon Clark. We know that Sheriff Scott Jones accepted donations from vendors seeking contracts for Sacramento County jails. These vendors charge inmates and their families outrageous prices for telephone calls and basic goods such as hygiene kits and care packages. Their new ordinance would only allow more profiteering.
District Attorney and Sheriff are the most important criminal justice office holdings in our community. We need you to TAKE ACTION.
HOW WE CAN TAKE ACTION
1. Public Comment
The Board of Supervisors will vote to increase her contribution limits on December 8th (Agenda item #39). Call in at 11:30 am to make sure you get to make a public comment and ask the supervisors not to allow special interest groups to influence our justice system!
Board of Supervisors call in # (916) 875-2500
2. Contact Supervisors
Submit an email public comment to your board of supervisors by DECEMBER 8TH to let them know you want to LIMIT the effects of BIG MONEY in our politics. Ask them to set the same contribution limits as other large counties at $1,500 and ensure the people’s voices are heard through voting, not contributions!
Feel free to use this email as a template and don’t forget to fill in your name at the bottom.
Emails: SupervisorSerna@saccounty.net; NottoliD@saccounty.net; SupervisorKennedy@saccounty.net
SUBJECT: Justice is Not For Sale
Dear Supervisor,
I am writing to you because I learned that District Attorney Schubert and Sheriff Jones want to increase the cap on individual campaign contributions to $25,000. I am asking you to reject this request for two reasons:
First, this is just TOO MUCH. This far exceeds the cap on your own limit and far exceeds caps in even larger counties. (LA County: $1,500; Orange County: $2,100; San Diego: $500; Santa Clara: $1,000; Kern County: $1,500.) It rivals the Governor’s own cap and that is a statewide position! There is simply no reason why the DA and Sheriff need to accept this much money from a single source. The limit should be set at the same contribution limits as other large counties at $1,500 and ensure the people’s voices are heard through voting, not contributions!
Second, the DA and Sheriff are the most important justice officials in the county. Justice should not be for sale. Both the DA and Sheriff have a well- documented history of accepted money from questionable sources. As you know, Sheriff Jones has accepted money from vendors and contractors who wanted to work inside the jail! Independent Expenditures require more transparency from funders and restrict candidate coordination. Raising campaign contribution limits is NOT the solution.
Our community needs to come together and heal. Allowing individual contributors to buy justice in our community is a step in the wrong direction.
Thank you, NAME
