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A CalMatters analysis shows the state has a broken system to collect unpaid penalties for late campaign reports. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
In Summary
A CalMatters analysis shows the state has a broken system to collect unpaid penalties for late campaign reports.
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California's secretary of state's office has failed to collect $2 million in fines owed by politicians, lobbyists and campaign donors who the office says filed disclosure reports late, a CalMatters analysis shows. It's allowed some of the largest fines to languish for many years with no consequences to those who are supposed to pay up.
The debts are owed by a range of political players, according to a list published on the secretary of state's website that details outstanding fines as of April 1. It shows fines owed by 26 state lawmakers and 21 superior court judges, as well as former legislators, losing candidates, ballot measure campaigns, Democratic and Republican clubs and corporate and labor-backed political action committees.