Uncovering San Luis Obispo County’s campaign finance coverups

May 6, 2026

OPINION by GREG HASKIN

Campaign season is shifting into high gear. With less than a month to go, and mail-in ballots already out, the pressure is on.

One tool that has become quite prevalent late in political campaigns is the independent expenditure committee (IE). This is a scheme for getting around campaign finance limits and accountability. It involves a small group of people who form a political action committee and raise funds independently from the candidates that they support.

There is a set of rules that IEs are supposed to follow, but they usually pop up late in the process and operate with little scrutiny. Theoretically, coordination – or any communication – with the candidate is forbidden.

That said, it’s an almost impossible rule to enforce. IEs commonly make outrageous claims with almost no accountability. They usually give themselves benevolent but vague names like “Good People for Good Government.”

IEs often put out negative hit pieces that either stretch the truth or outright lie. This gets the negative info out without making the benefiting candidate look bad.

When the spotlight is shone and the truth comes out (often too late), the benefiting candidate can simply shrug shoulders and claim to be completely unaware of who said what. IEs appear late and usually disappear the day after the election.

An individual donor is limited to a maximum amount that they can give directly to a candidates’ campaign. However, that same donor can give a much greater or sometimes even an unlimited amount to benefit that same candidate through an IE.

Most campaign finance regulations are enforced by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, except for federal campaigns, which are regulated by the Federal Elections Commission.

One important thing that can be done to try to keep IEs in line is to enforce the rules when they are broken. Throw the book at those who try to get away with manipulating elections under the cover of semi-anonymity.

When IEs break the rules, any honest candidate will call them out and ask that they cease their unlawful support while demanding that they play by the rules or not play at all. Honest candidates have nothing to fear from full disclosure of their supporters.

People who run IEs are supposed to know and follow the rules. When they don’t abide by the rules, it is usually because they hope that nobody is watching close enough to notice.

If you see mailers or other materials from an IE, look closely. Question the intent and the veracity of the claims made and ask yourself why this isn’t coming directly from the candidate’s own campaign. Don’t hesitate to file a complaint if you believe the rules are not being followed.

Greg Haskin is the Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business (COLAB) San Luis Obispo. COLAB is a not for profit public policy and advocacy community resource.