Transparency Is Essential

It’s troubling, though not surprising, to learn of the excessive contributions received by candidate Barrett Reed — almost triple the maximum donation amount from one contributor who utilized multiple LLCs. More troubling, however, is Reed’s comment in Tyler Hayden’s article, asserting that “It is next to impossible for me to know who owns every business that has supported and contributed to me.”

In fact, not only is it possible, it is super easy to access this information on the Secretary of State website at https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov.

I’ve worked for many candidates and officeholders over the years, and decades, and it is incumbent upon the candidate or elected official to ensure that such information is regularly reviewed, by he or she and/or staff. Further, the state regulation setting the new campaign limits of $4,900 per person explicitly identifies “person” as including “individual, business entity, committee or PAC.”

Here is a handy one-page sheet published by the Fair Political Practices Committee, to aid Mr. Reed and other candidates in complying with the law https://www.fppc.ca.gov/content/dam/fppc/NS-Documents/TAD/Campaign%20Documents/StateContributionVolunExpenditureLimites/2021%20Contribution%20Limits%20Chart.pdf .

While I am not a city resident, I urge Fourth District voters to support Councilmember Sneddon’s re-election. Her commitment to integrity and transparency is an essential quality in local government.