PRESS RELEASE
Contact: For release:
John St. Croix September 19, 2006
(415) 581-2300
SF ETHICS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES THAT THE VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMIT HAS BEEN LIFTED FOR ALL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CANDIDATES IN DISTRICT 8
The San Francisco Ethics Commission announced today that San Francisco’s $83,000 voluntary spending limit for candidates for the Board of Supervisors in the November election has been lifted in District 8. Elimination of the spending limit was triggered by a candidate who raised funds in excess of the spending limit.
Yesterday, Bevan Dufty, a candidate for the Board of Supervisors seat in District 8, filed a form indicating that he had raised contributions for his campaign exceeding 100 percent of the $83,000 voluntary spending limit. Accordingly, by law, the Ethics Commission was required to lift the spending limit in District 8.
The Commission has notified all supervisorial candidates in Districts 8 that the spending limit is no longer in effect in that district. The spending limit remains effective in District 6. They also remain in effect in races for school board, community college board and Public Defender. Spending limits are not in place in the Assessor race because the lone candidate declined to participate. Limits had previously been lifted in Districts 2, 4 and 10.
Under the City’s Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance, the voluntary spending limit for candidates for the office of Board of Supervisors is lifted in a particular district if a candidate who does not agree to abide by the spending limits receives contributions or makes qualified campaign expenditures in excess of 100 percent of the $83,000 voluntary spending limit. The limit is also lifted when a committee, or committees in the aggregate, make independent expenditures, in support of or in opposition to a candidate, that exceed 100 percent of the $83,000 spending limit.
All candidates running for City office who agreed by the deadline to comply with the voluntary spending limits will be acknowledged in the Voter Information Handbook distributed to San Francisco voters.
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The Ethics Commission, established in November 1993, serves the public, City employees and officials and candidates for public office through education and enforcement of ethics laws. Its duties include: filing and auditing of campaign finance disclosure statements, lobbyist and campaign consultant registration and regulation, administration of the public financing program and whistleblower program, conflict of interest reporting, investigations and enforcement, education and training, advice giving and statistical reporting.
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