Fremont Mayor Lily Mei has been under FPPC investigation since 2020 for allegedly laundering campaign contributions
Two Oakland candidates were involved in gun-related incidents in recent years
ELECTION 2022
Days until Election Day: 56.
FREMONT/10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, also a candidate this fall for the 10th State Senate District, has been under investigation for nearly two years by the state Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for allegations made during her 2020 mayoral campaign that she laundered campaign contributions.
—The investigation into the complaints against Mei’s campaign remain open and pending, as of last month, according to the FPPC. The allegations were reported in October 2020 by Mei’s then Fremont mayoral opponent, Justin Sha.
—In the complaint, Sha alleged Mei’s mayoral campaign reported two maximum campaign contributions from the same person. “These donations are highly suspect,” Sha wrote.
—An individual named “Yi-Lee Don” gave $690 to Mei’s campaign in mid-2020. Meanwhile, another maxed-out contribution was reported by Mei’s campaign from an individual listed as “Yi Lee.”
—Sha asserted Mei’s filing was riddled with numerous errors, some he posits were intentional, including misspelled names, an address that he said does not exist, and an accurate address that does not correspond with the individual listed at the dwelling.
—Sha alleged that Mei twice accepted contributions from “Yi-Lee Don” in order to either circumvent Fremont’s campaign contribution limit, or “facilitate another contribution from a foreign national/act as an intermediary or agent for another individual who could not or did not, for whatever reason, donate to Lily Mei’s campaign.”
— “I understand that there is, indeed, an individual ‘Yi-Lee Don’ who publicly supports Mayor Lily Mei in her re-election bid. However, ‘Yi-Lee Don’ and ‘Yi Lee’ appear to be the same person,” Sha alleged in the FPPC complaint. “If she did not receive double contributions (in contravention to local campaign contribution limits), I believe that there may be a possibility that this entry was made to donate to another individual.”
—Sha also asserted that some of Mei’s contributors during the 2020 mayoral campaign were not U.S. citizens. However, according to the FPPC, there is no prohibition against local candidates receiving contributions from foreign nationals.
—Mei is no stranger to FPPC wrongdoing. During her first run for Fremont mayor in 2016, she was fined $1,400 for failing to timely report $24,000 in late campaign contributions during the runup to Election Day, in addition, to $11,000 in loans.
—Failure to report the donations could, in some cases, shield the identity of contributors from the eyes of voters, especially if done late in a campaign.
—During the 2020 Fremont mayoral election, Sha waged a very aggressive campaign against Mei’s re-election. Sha, who is Asian American, routinely labeled Mei’s tenure as mayor as a “betrayal of Fremont’s trust.”
OAKLAND MAYOR
—GUN PLAY—The spotlight in the Oakland mayoral campaign continues to focus on lower tier candidates. Seneca Scott and Peter Liu were both cited in the last year for gun-related incidents, Oaklandside reports.
—The Alameda County District Attorney’s office charged Scott last December with two charges of carrying a concealed weapon and brandishing it. Scott said individuals were attempting to steal a water heater from a community garden he co-founded.
—Similarly, Liu, whose campaign logo spells out the first two letters of his last name with a handgun and magazine clip, held suspecting squatters at gunpoint at a business he owns in San Lorenzo. The incident occurred in early 2021. Liu was arrested, but not charged.
—TAYLOR TV—Those incessant TV commercials for state gambling propositions are about to get some competition on the airwaves. Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor released a new 30-second spot on Tuesday.
SAN LEANDRO MAYOR
—BORENSTEIN FACTOR—San Leandro mayoral candidates better bone up on city pensions and unfunded liabilities. That’s because the foursome of candidates are set to meet East Bay Times editorial writer Daniel Borenstein in coming days. I’ve been a long-time critic of Borenstein and his one-man endorsement process. He simply doesn’t know a thing about San Leandro and most of the cities in which he imparts his opinion on election matters. Therefore, he relies on his sole issue—unfunded liabilities.
—The likely benefactor of Borenstein’s imprimatur is candidate Juan Gonzalez, a forensic auditor by trade, and the type of moderate he has backed in the past. Candidate Lee Thomas may be amendable to Borenstein, but the issues we’ve all seen lately between Bryan Azevedo and human languages could be a major disaster waiting to happen. If it goes bad for Azevedo, keep an eye out for a sharp jab by Borenstein in the resulting editorial.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—TRIBUTE PAID—South County Assemblymember Alex Lee is a lock to win re-election this November in a race against a Republican in the South Bay’s left-leaning 24th District. Therefore, Lee’s campaign committee doesn’t need all this money laying around. On Monday, the committee paid its tribute to the California Democratic Party with a $40,500 contribution, according to a finance report.
—ROUNDUP—The Independent Expenditure Committee potentially looming large in Oakland’s mayoral race continues to fatten its wallet. Californians for Safer Streets Supporting Ignacio De La Fuente for Mayor of Oakland 2022 received a $10,000 contribution on Tuesday, according to a finance report. The total reported large contributions for the De La Fuente IE now tops $110,000
—The East Bay Community Foundation contributed $50,000 for the effort to get Measure T, Oakland’s progressive business tax measure, passed this November… Rebecca Kaplan’s campaign for Alameda County Board of Supervisors has been larded by SEIU cash for most of this year. Dignity CA SEIU Local 2015 added another $20,000 to Kaplan’s campaign coffers on Tuesday.
—MONEYBALL—Below is Form 497 contributions ($1,000 or more) filed Monday through Tuesday afternoon. *-local city campaign contribution limit.
COUNTY
ALAMEDA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS-DIST. 3
—Rebecca Kaplan (Alameda County Board of Supervisors-Dist. 3), Dignity CA SEIU Local 2015, $20,000. Lena Tam (Alameda County Board of Supervisors-Dist. 3), Shan's Management Mowry LLC of Los Gatos, $1,000.
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—Terry Wiley (Alameda County District Attorney), Matthew Beltramo of Lafayette, $5,000; Vinny MaHguyen of Oakland, $1,000.
AC TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
—Stewart Chen (AC Transit Board of Directors District-Ward 3), De Long Liu of Walnut Creek, $2,500.
EDEN HEALTH DISTRICT
—Ed Hernandez (Eden Health Board of Directors District-Area 5), 1910 Fairway LLC of Walnut Creek, $1,000.
CITY
ALAMEDA
—A Better Alameda, Supporting Spencer, Opposing Ashcraft For Mayor Supporting Daysog & Beusterien, Opposing Oddie For City Council (Alameda Mayor/City Council), Roberta Hough of Alameda, $1,500; James Sweeney of Alameda, $1,000 .
BERKELEY
—Berkeleyans for Better Planning No on Measure L (Opposing bond measure), Brandon Bergmark of Oakland, $1,000.
OAKLAND
—Yes on T - Invest in Our Oakland 2022, Sponsored by SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21 (Supporting progressive tax measure), East Bay Community Foundation, $50,000.
—Californians for Safer Streets Supporting Ignacio De La Fuente for Mayor of Oakland 2022 (Supporting De La Fuente), Allan Boscacci of Lafayette, $10,000.
SAN LEANDRO
—Jacqueline Perl (San Leandro School Board-Area 2), Karl Glaub of San Leandro, $1,000.
HAYWARD
—Sherman Lewis (Hayward City Council), Sherman Lewis, $30,000. Daniel Goldstein (Hayward City Council), IBEW Local 595 PAC, $1,500. Julie Roche (Hayward City Council), San Francisco Laborer’s Local 261 PAC, $1,500.
UNION CITY
—Lee Guio (Union City Council-Dist. 3), Lee Guio, $3,000 (Aug. 11); $1,500. Jaime Patino (Union City Council-Dist. 2), Jaime Patino, $1,560 (Aug. 19).
NEWARK
—Terrence Grindall (Newark City Council), Terrence Grindall, $3,000.
PIEDMONT
—Tom Ramsey (Piedmont City Council), Tom Ramsey, $1,020. Bridget McInerney Harris (Piedmont City Council), Bridget McInerney Harris, $500, $413, $301.
STATE LEGISLATURE
20TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—Liz Ortega-Toro (20th Assembly District), Scot Bernstein of El Dorado Hills, Calif., $2,500; Engineers & Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE Lou Lucivero Legislative Education & Action Program PAC, $2,500; COPE Fresno-Madera-Tulare-Kings Central Labor Council AFL-CIO PAC, $1,000.
14TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—BUFFY WICKS (14th Assembly District), D.R.I.V.E. - Dem, Rep, Ind Voter Ed (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000.
16TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (16th Assembly District), Foster Poultry Farms, $1,500; D.R.I.V.E. - Dem, Rep, Ind Voter Ed (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000.
24TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—Alex Lee (24th Assembly District), ESC Local 20 IFPTE Lou Lucivero (LEAP), Sponsored by Engineers & Scientists of California Local 20 PAC, $1,500.
DATEBOOK
OAKLAND
—OAKMAYOR FORUM—Jewish Community Oakland Mayoral Forum, hosted by Temple Sinai, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m. Click HERE for more information.