Fullerton Group Fined by State Ethics Watchdog for “Carpetbagger” Campaign Signs Against Sukhee Kang

By Thy Vo | April 19, 2017

The group Fullerton Taxpayers for Reform will be fined $2,500 by the state’s ethics watchdog for distributing 500 improperly labeled campaign signs during the June 2016 primary election against State Senate candidate Sukhee Kang.

The signs reading “No Kang – Irvine Carpetbagger” said they were paid for by the Fullerton committee but the font was too small, and did not include a statement that the signs were not paid for by a Senate candidate.

The committee’s representatives, Jack Dean and Tony Bushala, did, however, agree to replace the signs in the days before the June 7 election.

Kang, the former mayor of Irvine moved to Fullerton and ran as a Democrat for State Senate district 29, which includes North Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County. He later moved back to Irvine.

The committee’s $2,500 fine still must be approved by the full Fair Political Practices Commission.

FPPC regulations require campaign signs to include a funding disclosure that is at least five percent of the total height of the sign.

Contact Thy Vo at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @thyanhvo.