California GOP Faces Election Forgery/Fraud in it's Ranks

The Associated Press
Friday 23 April 2004

WASHINGTON - The campaign manager and fund-raising committee for a California Republican have agreed to pay $84,000 in civil penalties for sending out letters pretending to be Democrats during a 1998 congressional campaign, the Federal Election Commission said.

Adrian Plesha, manager of Charles Ball's campaign, agreed to pay a $60,000 fine and Ball's campaign committee agreed to pay $24,000. Plesha also pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FEC and was sentenced to three years probation, fined another $5,000 and ordered to perform 160 hours of community service.

In announcing the agreement late Thursday, the FEC said Plesha and the committee sent out 40,000 letters and made 10,000 phone calls just before the 1998 general election urging registered Democrats not to vote for Ball's opponent, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif.

The letters and phone calls came from the "East Bay Democratic Committee," a fictitious organization created by Plesha and the campaign committee. The letters falsely used the signature of Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.

The FEC said Plesha initially denied any knowledge of the scheme.

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