Longtime Contra Costa County politician Joe Canciamilla is facing possible criminal charges after agreeing to pay $150,000 in state fines for misusing campaign funds.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission voted unanimously Thursday to accept a settlement deal with Canciamilla after he admitted to spending more than $130,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses like vacations and home repairs.
In the agreement, Canciamilla, a former county clerk/recorder, state assemblyman and Contra Costa County Superior Court judge candidate, admitted to using the funds for personal purposes in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
Also, from 2011 to 2019, Canciamilla concealed the violations on campaign finance forms by overstating his campaign’s available cash on hand and by not reporting campaign committee activities.
Additionally, Canciamilla “commingled campaign funds with personal funds” while he was running to be elected judge, according to the FPPC, and gave falsified bank records to state Franchise Tax Board auditors during
their investigation.
As part of the settlement deal, he admitted to 30 violations of the California Political Reform Act.
Commissioner Alison Hayward called Canciamilla’s violations “particularly repugnant.”
“They show that a person who is raising money in trust for a political purpose is then converting that money to personal income,” Hayward said.
Canciamilla spent some of the money to remodel a Hawaiian vacation home and some of it — $36,119 — for vacation to Asia, according to the FPPC.
“This is a spectacular fall from grace by this particular individual,” Commissioner Frank Cardenas said. “It’s breathtaking arrogance.”
Canciamilla was first elected to office in 1973 at age 17 (he was sworn in at 18) as a member of the Pittsburg Unified School District board.
He went on to win seats on the Pittsburg City Council, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and the state Assembly. In 2013, he was appointed county clerk/recorder.
He won re-election to that office in 2014 and 2018. His term was set to expire in 2022, but he abruptly resigned on Oct. 31 after the FPPC audit investigation.
He resigned “so as not to bring undue hardship to the office while this matter was being resolved,” according to a statement from his lawyer, Andy Rockas.
On Nov. 8, the FPPC referred the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal prosecution.
“We’re aware of what’s going on, we’ve been in contact with the commission,” said district attorney’s office spokesman Scott Alonso. “Any possible misconduct that has a criminal element to it, we’re investigating.”
Canciamilla appears most vulnerable to perjury charges for filing
false campaign finance reports.
“Mr. Canciamilla has taken full responsibility for this situation, is humbled and embarrassed and hopes the FPPC fines won’t overshadow his 46 years of public service to the residents of Contra Costa County,” Rockas
said.
While Canciamilla has paid back the money that he took from his campaign coffers and forked over half of the FPPC fine amount from his personal account, he was able pay the other half using money donated to his campaign committee, as allowed by state law.
Several Contra Costa County residents appeared at the FPPC meeting in Sacramento Thursday to urge that commissioners reject the agreement in order to add additional charges and fines to Canciamilla’s case.
“It looks like I’m supposed to pay his pension … after he’s done this to me and the other voters,” said a woman who didn’t give her name.
“It’s getting harder and harder to have faith in the political system because of so much fraud and the inability to be able to decide if we can trust our candidates,” she said.
The commissioners appeared sympathetic to that argument and, while they voted to accept the deal, they also directed staff to refer Canciamilla’s case to the Contra Costa County Public Employees’ Retirement Board for possible action.
They also voted to suggest new legislation that would increase penalties for using campaign funds for personal use.
“The people are asking for justice and we have got to find our way to that daylight because there’s too much distrust in the system and I can’t be a part of a process that adds to that in any way,” Cardenas said.
This is the second high-profile political spending scandal to emerge from Contra Costa County in recent years.
In 2017, then-District Attorney Mark Peterson resigned and pleaded no contest to a perjury charge after the FPPC fined him $45,000 for spending $66,372 in campaign funds on personal expenses.
20 comments
Democrats. They tax you AND they steal your campaign donations.
Always amusing how the party of the corrupt politician is never mentioned in news articles when it’s a Democrat, while it’s generally in the headline or first paragraph when it’s a Republican.
This is a one party state. If you don’t think this kind of thing is rampant across local and state government, with many politicians at the minimum looking the other way, you probably still believe in the tooth fairy.
Kind of like when an illegal kills someone and they don’t say anything.
Exactly
Feel persecuted, do you because of your party preference? I believe your statement is highly inaccurate. Party affiliations are almost always cited. Ed Buck in LA; Jasiel Correia in Fall River Mass; Jerry McCormick in Indiana; and on and on. Do an Internet search and discover what’s called “The Truth”. I’m sure you think CA Democrats get away without notice when arrested and charged, but that’s just your paranoia talking. Even we Independents are identified when arrested, but that’s a rarity because we are not ignorant, greedy, low-life, lying traitorous scumbags like those in the GOP and Democratic Parties.
You need a Jump-To-Conclusions mat after that large assumption.
I’m not Democrat or Republican, though I lean a little right. Both parties are corrupt and barely distinguishable from each other as far as the policies they actually produce. The media is, however, ridiculously lopsided progressive, and plays a mind bogglingly active and aggressive role in boosting Democrats and attacking Republicans. There are articles after articles about Dem corruption in places like Baltimore, Newark, New York, where a machine Democrat cheats the system, and the article never mentions their party name. And they are always replaced by a Democrat, which is the general goal of many in the media.
You can dispute that if you want, but it is as plain as day to me.
Career Politicians are Crooks … Term Limits Now
Here. Here.
I second that!
It is a good start.
Oh my, my, my… not a Canciamilla! Anyone near a top position in CCC is corrupt.
Easy money!! – What a jackass!!!!
Ah! Another one of our East County luminaries whos name ends in a vowel.
No doubt he is great friends with Claycord’s favorite East County property developer and trash collector (and formerly beer brewing!) families.
When it comes to money, you’re either honest or you’re not. There is no middle ground.
Dang Dude one competent accountant could of took care of everything, and you wouldn’t have ruined your livelihood. Welcome and vaya con Dios.
Vacation Home in Hawaii ??? Couldn’t you just have been satisfied with reruns of Hawaii 5-0 ?
“While Canciamilla has paid back the money that he took from his campaign coffers and forked over half of the FPPC fine amount from his personal account, he was able pay the other half using money donated to his campaign committee, as allowed by state law.”
Who are these donors anyways? Favored associates??
Politicians should walk past the gallows on their way to the office.
As per stated above, the masses are getting wise to the hypocrisy of the left.
Do everyone a favor and when voting, anything with a “D” (stands for dumb btw) do not vote for. Instead, when you see an “R” (stands for right), put a check mark.
You’re playing a game that can’t be won.
The 2 party political system is a rights eroding farce.
Googlar,
Well said.
Plus one.
this guy should be in prison not just fined, what he did was theft !
Contra Costa D.A., Mark Peterson, “I am humbled and embarrassed by my mistakes,”
“Mr. Canciamilla has taken full responsibility for this situation, is humbled and embarrassed.”
Both caught stealing money from their campaign coffers.
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