SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After a brief period in which it was unclear who the tribes were supporting in the recall election, it has become increasingly clear that the choice of at least the tribal governments is Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante.
In the past few weeks a few tribes have made donations to the Bustamante campaign. However, these donations, including a $200,000 contribution from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians paled in comparison to a whopping $2 million gift from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians on Sept. 2.
This represents the single largest political donation in California history.
Also unlike these other donations, Viejas made their announcement with aplomb; issuing press releases and holding a teleconference with most of the state’s major media outlets.
The contribution is broken down into three components. The first is a $1.5 million gift to the 2002 Bustamante reelection committee and a $21,200 contribution to the 2003 campaign and an additional $479,800 to an “independent expenditure” aimed at Latino voters in Southern California.
Viejas vice-chairman Bobby Barrett defended the donation by citing Bustamante’s long standing ties to Indian country.
“Even before gaming, he (Bustamante) visited our reservation, met our elders, learned of our stories and traditions,” says Barrett.
However, Barrett remained elusive when questioned if this donation meant that the tribe was supporting the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Several times during the teleconference Barrett deflected questions about recall claiming that the recall was not a consideration in their decision to make the contribution to Bustamante.
Additionally Barrett claimed that the decision to make the donation was “not about gaming,” but rather supporting an old friend.
Though Proposition 34 made large-scale monetary donations technically illegal, Viejas and their lawyers managed to find a $2 million loophole to step through. This legal maneuver is perhaps one of the most confusing in the very confusing world of campaign finance.
A few tribes ran afoul of the Fair Political Practices Commission last year over late disclosure of previous contributions to Bustamante’s earlier campaigns for lieutenant governor. Hoping to avoid a repeat of that problem Viejas worked with their lawyers and skirted Proposition 34 by placing funds into the hands of individual donors for old political accounts.
Also, independent expenditures, are not regulated by Proposition 34 because they are not under the direction of the candidate, but instead act as supposedly independent entities that work to get a candidate or an initiative elected.
However, Barrett made the case that Bustamante, who collects only his salary as lieutenant governor needed the donation to offset the “deep pockets” of some of his competitors. Though he did not mention any specific candidate, both Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Independent Arianna Huffington are both millionaires who are using their personal wealth to help finance their campaigns.
In a televised gubernatorial debate in Walnut Creek on Sept. 3, Bustamante was criticized for taking money from gaming tribes in general and Viejas in particular. Huffington and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo made particularly pointed criticisms of Bustamante for accepting the donations.
Also, debate no-show Schwarzenegger has also recently criticized Bustamante for taking tribal donations as part of the former muscle man’s stump speech. However, Schwarzenegger is also facing increasing scrutiny for accepting corporate campaign contributions.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Viejas’ contribution to Bustamante exceeded the $1.5 million he has previously received from tribes dating back over decade.
