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SAN DIEGO —
Former City Council candidate Kelvin Barrios has agreed to pay a $5,000 fine imposed by the San Diego Ethics Commission for working at City Hall at the same time he was employed by a labor union.
Meanwhile, the commission issued a $400 fine to City Attorney Mara Elliott for failing to properly disclose two donations to a legal-defense fund.
The fines are the latest penalties meted out by the commission, which is charged with enforcing the city’s campaign rules. Both Barrios and Elliott acknowledged their mistakes in stipulations dated Dec. 16.
Barrios was the leading candidate for the San Diego City Council District 9 race more than a year ago when he suspended his campaign amid several issues.
The state Fair Political Practices Commission had previously fined him for violations in unrelated campaigns, and he also was the subject of a criminal investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.
According to the city Ethics Commission, Barrios was employed by the city of San Diego and the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local No. 89 for about one week in 2019.
“Respondent reported that he was expected to work at least 40 hours a week for LiUNA, including during daytime working hours,” the stipulation states. “During this same time, respondent was also expected to work at least 40 hours a week for the city.”
The District 9 seat was won by Sean Elo-Rivera, who was seated last year and recently elected as council president.
In her stipulation, Elliott acknowledged that she did not report two donations to a legal defense fund she created.
According to that agreement, Elliott stated that she was 77 days late disclosing a pair of contributions. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the fine.
The violations were also admitted by KM Strategies, Amplify Campaigns and River City Business Services. Those entities worked for Elliott’s legal defense fund, the commission stipulation said.
The San Diego Ethics Commission was created more than a dozen years ago, following a pension scandal that nearly bankrupted the city.
Source: This post first appeared on sandiegouniontribune.com
