‘RECEIPTS ASAP’

California GOP Politician Fined $100K for Campaign Finance Violations

The hefty fine was imposed after the Republican assemblyman stopped paying a previous fine.

A four-year-long probe into the campaign finances of Republican California Assemblyman William Brough has resulted in fines to the tune of $100,000. The non-partisan Fair Political Practices Commission found that Brough spent political funds he raised on family vacations, clothing, and a custom cigar humidor, according to The Los Angeles Times. The paper reported that $17,303 from Brough’s campaign account was used for personal expenses—which occurred while his campaign treasurer attempted to warn the politician about his wrongdoing. “I need all of your receipts ASAP—you’ve gone mad with the [credit] card use, and I have one silly receipt for every ten expenses,” Brough campaign treasurer JenEve Slater wrote to the assemblyman in 2018, according to the investigation. According to The Times, Brough agreed to pay the initial $47,000 penalty, but after only one payment, the commission more than doubled the fine.