Everyone loves the annual Charm House Tour in Laguna Beach, which is perhaps why everyone has turned a blind eye to the dubious political money trail.
Run by Village Laguna since 1974, the paid tours provide visitors with a behind-the-scenes peek into old cottages and landmarks throughout the city. The tours are well-done, informative, and well, charming.
Unfortunately, Village Laguna has been a little loose in how it moves money around from the tours to its other activity: politics.
And back in 2018, a group of citizens complained about it to the Fair Political Practices Commission, which finally issued a ruling earlier this year.
“(Village Laguna, Inc.) failed to report independent expenditures on campaign statements, in violation of Government Code Section 84211, subdivision (k)(5),” the FPPC wrote.
There were six violations that resulted in a $1,817 penalty, and Village Laguna has to change its disclosures moving forward.
For the citizens who complained, the outcome was more of a moral victory than a financial one.
“Village Laguna’s attempts to conceal vital information from the public have been rightfully exposed by the FPPC’s intensive investigation,” said Sam Goldstein, who helped spearhead the effort. “Their failure to report independent expenditures on public reports is a serious transgression that deprives voters of essential insights into the influences shaping their election decisions.”
For its part, Village Laguna believed it was adhering to the rules, and the FPPC acknowledged that “there is evidence that the treasurers and individuals involved made a good-faith attempt to comply with the reporting requirements.”
FPPC rules allow groups like Village Laguna to serve as a “multipurpose organization,” in this case the Charm House Tour and a political committee. But Village Laguna has to make that distinction clear to the public, which did not happen.
So no mystery tours and more transparency.
