Sacramento councilwoman’s fundraising did not violate city code, commission finds
The Sacramento Ethics Commission has determined there is insufficient evidence to support the allegation that City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela violated city code in her first batch campaign funds.
A resident named Grant Rabenn in July filed a complaint with the commission alleging Valenzuela raised $39,960 in her bid for re-election next year — higher than the $34,000 limit.
The complaint was dismissed Monday evening by the commission. Rabenn did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The issue stemmed from the question of when candidates were allowed to start raising money ahead of the March 2024 primary. In March 2023, a year ahead of the primary, the City Clerk’s Office brought an item to the council to approve new deadlines. It passed without controversy on the consent calendar, but due to an error by staff, it included the wrong date, City Clerk Mindy Cuppy told the commission.
“The code is inherently inaccurate,” Cuppy told the commission Monday. “In one place it says one thing, and in one place it says another. We will be updating that code.”
Political consultant Steven Maviglio in July filed a similar complaint with the commission alleging mayoral candidate Flojaune Cofer had violated the same city code by raising $158,738 during the first six-month cycle — much higher than the $67,900 mayoral limit. The commission last month found insufficient evidence to support that allegation as well.
Steven D. Miller of Hanson Bridgett, hired by the city to do an independent evaluation of both allegations, recommended the commission determine the candidates did indeed violate the code, but that they should not be punished because of the confusion of the code. The commission instead determined neither had violated code.
Valenzuela said she returned the amount that was over the apparent limit.
“She didn’t have to but she did that in good faith,” Commissioner Nicole Velasquez said.
Valenzuela’s campaign contacted the clerk’s office multiple times to ask for clarification, according to the staff report.
As a result of the complaints, the city will pay Hanson Bridgett for its consultant reports about Cofer and Valenzuela, Cuppy said. It has not yet been billed with an amount.
Valenzuela is running for her second term on the council representing the central city and East Sacramento, challenged by political newcomer Phil Pluckebaum. The primary election is March 5. If no single candidate receives over 50.01% of the vote, it will go to a runoff Nov. 5.
This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
