Law enforcement unions donate to California Democrats ahead of police reform vote

California law enforcement unions are contributing tens of thousands of dollars to influential Democratic lawmakers as the Legislature advances a controversial police reform bill that would allow departments to strip badges from officers with serious misconduct records.

The donors have spent months lobbying against Senate Bill 2, which aims to increase investigations into problematic behavior and decertify law enforcement officers.

They’re trying to influence lawmakers in a Legislature where Democrats hold super majorities in both houses, and where some leading members called for new police reform measures in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer was filmed killing George Floyd, a Black man.

It’s not uncommon for police unions and law enforcement organizations to donate to Democrats — many of them moderates who have the capacity to tank bills by withholding their votes.

Some of the donations in recent weeks have gone into accounts associated with high-ranking San Diego Democrat and Assembly Appropriations Chairwoman Lorena Gonzalez, who is also one of the more progressive members in the Legislature.

Two groups started contributing to Gonzalez after SB 2 passed the Senate in May and moved to the Assembly, state finance records show. The Appropriations committee is next in line to review and consider the proposal.

In June, the Los Angeles Police Protective League funneled $24,300 toward Gonzalez’s ballot measure committee called Our Voice Our Vote.

The Deputy Sheriff’s Association of San Diego PAC also dumped $9,800 into Gonzalez’s 2022 campaign account that same month, and another $20,000 into the committee.

Gonzalez had previously announced a run for Secretary of State, but Gov. Gavin Newsom then appointed former Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, for the job.

In a statement, Gonzalez spokesman Mike Blount rejected any connection between SB 2 and contributions.

“It would be illegal for a campaign contribution to affect any legislation,” Blount wrote in an email. “Ms. Gonzalez would never accept campaign contributions that were in any way linked to a bill or any official act.”

Peace Officers Bill of Rights

Gonzalez voted for SB 2 in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. But she raised concerns that elements of the legislation would affect the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, a California law related to how police can be disciplined.

“I’m concerned that there are actual just functional issues with the bill that, unfortunately when brought up, everybody points and says, ‘Oh you don’t support this,’” Gonzalez said. “I support decertification. I want a bill that works with POBAR and doesn’t undercut in one way or another doesn’t create more legal problems for us in the future.”

In a statement, Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County spokesperson Darryl Lucien said the group had a “consistent track record of supporting most members of the San Diego County delegation, even those with whom we disagree on core issues.”

“We support legislators without regard to what legislation, if any, is pending or not,” Lucien’ statement included.

“Any charitable or political contribution our union makes is never tied to any legislative or administrative action,” the board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Protective League included in its response. “It’s simply untrue to imply otherwise.”

Senators in competitive districts withheld votes

The bill passed the Senate in May on a vote of 26 to nine with five senators not voting. All five of the senators who did not vote were Democrats representing competitive districts in Contra Costa County, Orange County, Los Angeles’ suburbs and the San Joaquin Valley.

The law enforcement groups were gave to those lawmakers when the bill was moving through Senate.

A Peace Officers Research Association of California PAC, for example, contributed in February $18,600 to Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, who did not vote for the bill in either Senate Judiciary or when it passed her Senate floor.

In a statement, Caballero’s spokeswoman Elisa Rivera said the senator “supports a fair decertification process for law enforcement officers who abuse their positions.”

“However,” Rivera added, “there were a number of concerns with SB 2 that created the potential for unjust outcomes in the bills’ desertification process, and after many conversations, the author was unwilling to make small changes to adjust for that. Therefore, she could not support the bill.”

Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, also received $15,000 from law enforcement groups this year, and Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, accepted more than $30,000 in 2021.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League PAC also contributed $5,000 in April to a 2026 campaign committee for Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda.

This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 5:25 AM.