Elder packs the house in Fresno + FPPC digs in to his disclosures + Bonta on ‘ghost gun’ rule

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

Larry Elder, the conservative talk radio host and leading challenger in the state’s race to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, hit all of his talking points at a packed rally Sunday at the Paul Shaghoian Performing Arts Center in Fresno.

“I don’t drink coffee, I drink tea, and when I become governor, assuming there are still mandates for vaccines and mandates for face masks, they will be repealed before I have my first cup of tea,” Elder said to raucous applause from a capacity crowd of about 750, most not wearing masks.

It was a friendly crowd. One supporter shouted, “Larry for king.”

Elder did not take any questions or take on any of the issues that seemingly could threaten his campaign, which include a long list of controversial statements regarding women that his opponents are using as ammunition against him.

He simply plowed through about 40 minutes on stage at the Shaghoian Center, entering and exiting to standing ovations.

“You know they’re scared when I get called the Black face of white supremacy,” Elder said, referring to a piece by Los Angeles Times columnist Erika Smith. “Do I look like a white supremacist?

Read more on his campaign stop in this report by The Fresno Bee.

RELATED: Don’t miss this report by The Bee’s Sophia Bollag on why Elder’s campaign might be good for Newsom.

ELECTIONS WATCHDOG INVESTIGATING ELDER

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has opened an investigation into the leading Republican recall candidate, The Bee learned over the weekend.

The investigation follows a complaint from the California Democratic Party regarding Larry Elder’s statement of economic interests, a form all political candidates must submit to the state.

The FPPC said in a notice to parties that it has made no determination about the validity of the allegations against Elder or the culpability of the people identified in the complaint.

On Aug. 16, the FPPC received a complaint from Democratic Chair Rusty Hicks alleging Elder had incorrectly filled out the form, illegally leaving out sources of income to his business Laurence A. Elder and Associates and failing to list any real estate investments. Under FPPC rules, if an individual owns more than 10% of a company, he or she must disclose funding sources of more than $10,000 to that company.

Elder filed an amended form in Los Angeles County late Aug. 17. The amended form listed 11 sources of income to Elder’s company, including Salem Media, UT Film LLC, The Epoch Times, Promedev Relief Factor,Turning Point USA, Blexit, Alachua County Republican Executive Committee, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, Heartbeat at 22, Penn State University, and Washington City, TX Republican Party.

The amended form also noted that Elder is the half-owner of a Los Angeles Property worth between $100,001 and $1 million.

FPPC officials sent a letter to parties on Aug. 17 notifying them of the investigation.

The FPPC does not comment on specific situations, but confirmed that the penalty for violating the Political Reform Act is an administrative penalty of up to $5,000 per violation.

BONTA CHEERS BIDEN ‘GHOST GUN’ REGS

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also known as the ATF, announced a proposed rule that would clarify what the agency views qualifies as a firearm.

The rule comes as the agency looks to crack down on so-called “ghost guns,” guns created at home using 3D printing technology and open-source specifications.

Count California Attorney General Rob Bonta as a supporter of the proposed rule.

“We applaud the Biden Administration for taking steps to enforce commonsense gun regulation at the federal level,” Bonta said in a statement. “Right now, do-it-yourself ghost gun kits allow anyone with a credit card and an internet connection to purchase and build a fully operable, untraceable weapon in minutes with little to no restriction. In California, we know this is a problem which is why we regulate ghost guns the same way we do other firearms. However, our borders are not impenetrable which means kits bought elsewhere can be brought into our state. The ATF’s Proposed Rule will bring federal law up to speed with California law, and make it clear that unfinished frames and receivers are firearms, and will be regulated as such.”

The agency previously took the position that so-called “80%” frames and receivers, used to assemble a firearm in as quick as 15 minutes, were not firearms under the federal Gun Control Act.

“The ATF’s previous interpretation of the GCA has led to the proliferation of ghost guns in California and throughout the country. According to the ATF, as of 2019, 30% of all firearms recovered in California were not serialized. In addition, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence found that in Los Angeles from 2015 to 2019, the number of ghost guns recovered increased by 144%. Alarmingly, in San Francisco, while no ghost guns were recovered in 2015, ghost gun recoveries increased by 1,517% between 2016 to 2019,” according to Bonta’s office.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you think POTUS should be 25th Amended — and you keep amending until you find a better alternative, the line of succession is Kamala (veep), Pelosi (Speaker), Patrick Leahy (Senate Prez Pro Tem), Tony Blinken (State), Janet Yellen (Treasury), Lloyd Austin (Defense). Hmmm.”

- Bill Whalen, Hoover Institution research fellow, via Twitter.

Best of the Bee:

• A California judge on Friday ruled that a 2020 ballot measure exempting rideshare and food delivery drivers from a state labor law is unconstitutional because it infringes on the Legislature’s power to set workplace standards, via Jeong Park.

• Despite California’s staunchly blue-state status, polls show a close race, which some experts say might reflect an extra dose of enthusiasm on the right. Bearing that in mind, voters are wondering whether there’s a way Newsom could lose on the first question asking whether Newsom should be recalled, but ultimately survive if enough voters write in his name on the second question, via Mila Jasper.

• Three Republican candidates for governor in the California recall election have expressed support for the QAnon movement, according to a new report, via Andrew Sheeler.