Calif. Case Raises Questions About Lawmakers’ Nonprofit Ties

A federal investigation of California Sen. Ronald S. Calderon sheds light on how state legislators may be using nonprofit organizations to collect money from special interests without facing the restrictions attached to campaign contributions, the Los Angeles Times writes.

According to an FBI affidavit, Mr. Calderon allegedly used a charity run by his brother to shield a $25,000 bribe he took from an undercover federal agent posing as a movie executive. The senator has not been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.

The article cites other examples of nonprofits with ties to California politicians or their relatives that, according to tax filings, spent more on travel, meals, or entertainment in recent years than on their stated causes. Such groups are not subject to the $4,100 limit on campaign donations in legislative races, and political-money watchdogs contend they are often formed primarily to benefit politicians’ careers or pocketbooks.