ICYMI: SAN DIEGO U-T: Peters returns some felon funds, not all

June 20, 2016

A new Union-Tribune piece is shedding light on Scott Peters’ shady fundraising practices and relationship with Babulal Bera, Congressman Ami Bera’s father who pleaded guilty to election fraud in May. Some key takeaways from the piece:

  • Peters did not disgorge all donations from Babulal Bera. The Peters campaign made a show of returning $5,400 with full knowledge that Babulal had given another $7000.
  • Peters has not returned any money given by Kanta Bera, Babulal’s wife who was part of the illegal straw donor scheme. As part of Babulal’s guilty plea, his wife was granted immunity. However, her name was clearly used as part of Babulal’s reimbursements. Donations from Kanta are functionally donations from Babulal, yet Peters has kept all her donations.
  • This investigation sheds light on a shady campaign finance nexus between the wealthy Peters and Bera families. Clearly both Scott Peters and Ami Bera conspired to assist each other’s campaigns with full involvement of Babulal. Has the FBI contacted Peters about his knowledge of Babulal and Kanta’s activities? Was Peters working directly with Ami? Or were he and his campaign working with Babulal himself?

NRCC Comment: “Scott Peters continues to come under scrutiny for his shady fundraising practices and refusal to return all donations associated with admitted felon Babulal Bera. Peters has long skirted campaign finance rules and used his considerable personal wealth to give him a leg up in his campaigns and is now rightfully facing questions about the propriety – and legality – of his actions.” – NRCC Spokesman Zach Hunter

Peters returns some felon funds, not all
The San Diego Union-Tribune
By Lauryn Schroeder
June 18, 2016 – 6PM
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/18/peters-felon-donations/

After Babulal “Bob” Bera pleaded guilty to two felony counts of election fraud in May, Rep. Scott Peters of San Diego returned $5,400 donated by the retired engineer from Orange County.

“Given the news that broke on Tuesday, we decided that returning it was appropriate under the circumstances,” Peters spokeswoman MaryAnne Pintar said at the time.

That wasn’t the only money that Peters received from Bera and his immediate family. Bera’s son, Ami Bera, is a congressman from Elk Grove. The elder Bera admitted in federal court that he illegally funneled nearly $270,000 to his son’s 2010 and 2012 election campaigns through “straw man” intermediaries.

According to court documents, Bob Bera and his wife, Kanta, were able to get around campaign contribution caps by asking relatives, friends and acquaintances to donate the maximum allowed amount, then reimbursing them in most cases.

U-T Watchdog reviewed Peters’ contributions and found $41,600 from the family since 2012:

– $5,400 in 2015 from the elder Bera — the money that was returned. He also gave contributions totaling $7,700 to Peters in 2012 and 2013.
– $5,400 on the same day in in 2015 from Bera’s wife, who was implicated in Bera’s case but is avoiding federal charges under an agreement in her husband’s plea bargain. She donated another $2,500 in 2012 and $5,200 in 2013 to Peters.
– $10,200 from Rep. Bera, who gave $5,000 in 2012 and $5,200 in 2013. Peters and Bera are friends in Congress. The two Democrats were both elected in 2012, defeating Republican incumbents.
– $5,200 from Congressman Bera’s wife, Janine, in 2013.

Pintar said Bob Bera’s donation in 2015 was legal, but the Peters campaign nevertheless decided it was appropriate to refund that amount.

Pintar said the campaign was unaware that Kanta Bera was involved in the money funneling. The campaign did not return her contributions because she did not plead guilty.

As to the other contributions from Bob Bera, Ami Bera and Janine Bera, Peters’ campaign did not reimburse them because they were given in earlier election cycles, in 2012 and 2013. According to Pintar, the funds were spent in those previous election cycles.

“We would have had to send him another donor’s money from the 2016 election cycle,” she said. “We thought that enriching Mr. Bera in that way was not appropriate.”

According to campaign finance reports, Peters’ campaign fund carried over $28,700 from the 2012 election cycle, and carried over $68,700 from the 2014 election cycle. Pintar said those carry-over funds were obligated to campaign debt, mostly money owed to Peters.

Read the full piece here.