Menifee mayor fined for illegal use of campaign funds

Menifee Mayor Scott Mann has agreed to pay $60,000 as a penalty for alleged FPPC violations. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

Menifee Mayor Scott Mann has agreed to pay a $60,000 fine as part of a settlement with the Fair Political Practices Commission after admitting to personal use of campaign funds, the FPPC announced today.

Mann, who is on the ballot for re-election Nov. 8, is accused of using a total of $44,894 from campaign funds for personal use, including vacation, travel, dining expenses, personal tax relief expenses, personal vehicle repair and registration, and personal expenses related to a family wedding in Malibu, according to an FPPC news release.

The law requires that penalties imposed for personal use of campaign funds may not be paid from campaign funds. According to the FPPC, Mann already has reimbursed his committees $17,152 from his personal funds. He has agreed to pay the entire proposed penalty of $60,000 by Dec. 1 and the settlement will be presented to the FPPC Commissioners at a public meeting on Dec. 15.

The FPPC is a five-member independent commission that regulates the effective administration of the Political Reform Act in California. This includes monitoring and regulation of campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying and governmental ethics.

Mann has also admitted to a campaign record keeping violation. According to the FPPC announcement, Mann agreed to the FPPC's decision to announce the settlement prior to the election, in which he is running against Neil Winter.

According to the FPPC, these violations are related to funds generated in previous campaigns. About half of the misused funds came from a bank account established for Mann's 2010 City Council campaign. The other half came from an account established for his Mayoral campaigns in 2012 and 2014. Most of the funds were ATM cash withdrawals or bank transfers from committee accounts to Mann's personal accounts. Mann did not report the expenditures and failed to keep required records of expenditures.

Mann issued the following brief statement today in response to the FPPC announcement.

"The FPPC’s press release reflects a settlement negotiation that’s over three years old. I agreed to enter into these negotiations and have cooperated fully throughout the entire process. This matter is scheduled to be taken up at the Commission’s December meeting. I acknowledge the campaign violations outlined in the press release. Because the Commission has not yet ratified the settlement, I am legally limited as to what I can say publicly. Once the Commission has acted, I plan to make a full public statement."

In 2014, Mann was fined $1,500 by the FPPC for failure to disclose non-monetary contributions during his 2012 campaign for office. Mann also was accused by resident Anne Pica of paying for the printing of fliers with crude negative statements and delivering them to her home for distribution as part of a smear campaign against his mayoral opponent, Darcy Kuenzi, and District 1 council candidate Sue Kristjansson prior to the 2012 city elections.

Fliers were distributed anonymously to many residents and Mann went on to defeat Kuenzi in the mayoral race. Kristjansson lost to Greg August in the District 1 race. Mann has never confirmed or denied the allegations. When he was questioned about the allegations during a 2014 candidates forum, his response was, "That was 2012, and I'm focusing on 2014."