Commissioners at the May 15 meeting pressed enforcement staff for clarity about how the agency applies its streamline regulations after two recent cases produced very different penalty outcomes.

Commissioner Ortiz compared two matters: a case involving the committee Stand Up for Chico that received warning letters and no penalties and a candidate committee (Adrian Greer) that resulted in a fine. Ortiz asked why apparent pre‑election late filings in both matters were treated differently.

Assistant Chief Angela Burton and enforcement staff explained that the streamline regulation (Regulation 18360.1) requires evaluation of multiple factors, including whether late statements were filed before an election (a warning-letter criterion if filed more than three days before the election), the committee’s financial activity thresholds (for example, whether a committee raised or spent more than $10,000), and prior violation history. Burton said the agency applies the streamline criteria and that many counts in the Chico matter qualified for warning letters because filings were only a few days late or met other warning-letter criteria.

Burton acknowledged she could not recite every evaluation detail from memory during the meeting but reiterated that staff run each matter through the streamline criteria and apply them consistently. Commissioners pressed for continued consistency and for clearer public explanation of how the criteria are applied across candidate and general‑purpose committees.

Commissioner Wilson asked for clarification about staff resources and whether certain offenses (for example, illegal mass mailings) can ever be resolved through the streamline pathway; staff confirmed some matters (such as mass mailing at public expense) are not eligible for streamlining. Commissioner Brandt and others thanked enforcement staff for moving older cases to the probable cause and default stages.

Enforcement staff said a fuller presentation on streamline criteria will come back to the commission in November as a pre‑notice discussion and pointed commissioners to regulation 18360.1 for the formal criteria.