Kayser Campaign Press Release
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TODAY, MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011 |
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Los Angeles (MARCH 21) --- Veteran teacher and charter reform commissioner Bennett Kayser has issued an ethics complaint against his potential run-off opponent Luis Sanchez for illegal fund-raising in anticipation of a general election for the LAUSD District Five open seat.
Kayser informed the Los Angeles Ethics Commission over the weekend of the violation after receiving an email from the Sanchez campaign soliciting contributions prior to the official certification of the March 8, 2011 election.
As of March 16, 2011, Sanchez has 48.50 percent, Kayser 34.78 percent, and John Fernandez with 15.70 percent. A fifty percent threshold must be met to avoid a run-off. The Los Angeles city clerk has 21 days after the election to certify.
“Violating ethics rules on fundraising demonstrates an arrogance of power that is consistent with the cynicism that this seat can be bought and paid for”, stated Kayser.
“Sanchez and his Wall Street supporters have already spent over $1 million to capture this seat,” declared Kayser, “and for that they could not achieve a majority of a low turnout election.”
Kayser demanded that the “Funds that Mr. Sanchez has collected should be turned over to the City's General Fund and used for purposes beneficial to the public at large” as punishment for the violations.
In his email to Jennifer Bravo of the City Ethics Commission, Kayser stated “I am requesting that you notify Mr. Sanchez that he is fraudulently soliciting funds for an election committee that cannot exist. As you said to me in a recent (3/18/11) phone conversation, there is no General Election until the City Clerk certifies that a runoff election is necessary for LAUSD's District #5 Board of Education seat.”
Mr. Sanchez has now violated the law at least twice. First, with his e-mail asking for more money from his contributors (sent earlier). And now, the "Luis Sanchez" website: http://www.sanchezforschoolboard.com/ has a "Contribute" link: http://www.sanchezforschoolboard.com/contribute.php which has instructions: "or to mail-in a contribution click here. " which leads to a form: http://sanchezforschoolboard.com/images/contribute.pdf, a business reply form to complete the contribution.
Kayser, 64, taught for 14 years at Marshall High School, King Middle, Irving Middle and City of Angels. He is the former Commissioner, 13th District, of the Elected Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, former Echo Park Neighborhood Council vice-president and former president of the Federation of Hillside-Canyon Associations.
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Sanchez fundraising email #1 sent 11 March | DO NOT CONTRIBUTE AS THIS WOULD APPARENTLY BE A VIOLATION OF CAMPAIGH LAW
 Dear Friends, I want to take a moment to extend my sincerest thanks for all of your hard work and support during our campaign and to update you on the latest developments in the ongoing ballot count of the March 8th election. As a first time candidate, I am truly proud and astonished by what we have accomplished. In the last few months, hundreds of volunteers and donors have rallied behind our campaign to make meaningful reforms to get our schools back on track. In the last few weeks of the campaign, over half a million dollars were spent by an independent expenditure – attacking me with false, over the top attack ads. This group has hand picked a candidate to rubber stamp the failed policies that have resulted in high student drop-out rates and schools that do not prepare our children to succeed. What they don’t realize is voters are smarter than that. They know that my campaign and the coalition we have built is on the right side of fighting to reform LAUSD, united in the goal of providing a good education for neighborhood children in our community. I’m happy to report that our coalition won the day on Tuesday. We received 49% of the vote and are only hundreds of votes away from reaching 50% and avoiding a run-off election in May. It will take a few more weeks for every vote to be counted. However, our work does not stop here. The real challenge ahead of us is ensuring that neighborhood students all have access to a quality education and that we bring reforms and accountability to LAUSD. Those who want to protect the status quo will stop at nothing to prevent real reform from happening. Now is the time to refocus and recommit. I’m up for the challenge but I can’t do it without your help. Ensure our campaign is strong by: Making a new contribution of $25, $50, $100, $200 or $500 to our general election campaign. Volunteer to make phone calls or walk a neighborhood. Your work in talking directly to voters will give our campaign a winning edge. Voters made it clear last Tuesday that they want real reform and accountability in our schools. Every child deserves a quality education that prepares them to succeed. With your continued support we can help make that a reality. Thank You, Luis | Visit our Website!
Paid for and Authorized by the Luis Sánchez to Reform LAUSD Board 2011- General
[some information from the original email has been deleted – the organizations, civic leaders and elected officials listed as Sanchez supporters might prefer not to have their names attached to this allegedly illegal appeal.] |
5 articles explaining why LAUSD District 5 voters should REJECT the unethical & unprincipled Luiz Sanchez http://j.mp/fb5MSM
ReplyDeleteBetter Kayser’s claim that Luis Sanchez has broken any rules is not only false but humorous considering his campaign spent over half a million dollars sending inaccurate and deceitful mail to voters in District five and violated ethics rules along the way by not notifying the ethics committee of money being spent and uploading mailers sent by his campaign to their website as required by law. It was Luis Sanchez who filed a complaint against him in February.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I do not understand the point to this blog when there are more pressing issues to report on such as UTLA’s lack of concern for our kid’s education and fighting the bureaucracy that is affecting our schools. Bennet Keyser too opened a committee before the election was certified. Did he too break a law? Why not include it in the report?
Would the ethics committee have approved the new committee Luis Sanchez is fundraising under? If so, wouldn’t that mean that Luis Sanchez did not break any rules? Obviously this reporter failed to see the obvious, and that is that no rules have been broken.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has heard Mr. Bennet Keyser say publicly that the only reason he is running for office is because he needs a job, I am especially concerned this article does not include any facts or important information affecting our schools, only sensationalized propaganda.
I think voters are smarter than this.