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Public commenter tells FPPC nonprofit fundraising and lobbying pose conflict gaps
Summary
A member of the public urged the commission to strengthen oversight of nonprofit associations that engage in entrepreneurial fundraising and lobbying on behalf of public special districts, saying current rules create a conflict-of-interest blind spot.
During the public‑comment portion of the October meeting, Dean Getz urged the Fair Political Practices Commission to consider stronger regulation of nonprofits that engage in lobbying and cobranded fundraising arrangements with public agencies.
“I wanted to highlight…that nonprofit regulations as it relates to conflicts of interest in lobbying for which this state agency has jurisdiction, could be improved,” Getz said during his remarks, adding that some nonprofit entrepreneurial funding arrangements have produced “improprieties” in the past.
Getz cited news reporting and an association example in which, he said, revenue flowed in ways that raised concerns about transparency and potential conflicts between nonprofit executives and public‑agency members. He told commissioners the issue had been raised previously and urged the legal division to consider targeted proposals.
Commission response: Executive Director West thanked Getz for his comments and invited him to submit specific proposals to the legal division so staff could consider them in policy development.
Ending: The commission did not take formal action on the public comment; staff encouraged the commenter and other stakeholders to provide specific recommendations to the legal division for future rulemaking or guidance.
