Campaign Reform
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Dan Morain’s informative piece about Tony Miller’s aggressive pursuit of election law violations (Dec. 28) highlights an urgent need for legislative reform. Among the violations pursued by Miller are claims against out-of-state donors who unwittingly failed to file disclosure statements, even when the initiative campaign itself has made full and timely disclosure of the contribution. Plainly, no public harm is involved in such violations.
Letting private lawyers obtain a bounty by harassing donors for hypertechnical violations of California’s Political Reform Act is bad policy.
The Legislature should act swiftly to eliminate rewards for lawyers who seek to enforce oppressive filing requirements when there is minimal public harm. In a free society, imposing limits on private contributions is a cure worse than the disease.
MANUEL S. KLAUSNER, Los Angeles
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