A Stanford University non-profit research group, California Common Sense (CACS), says Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represents part of Monrovia, is not the top spender in the Assembly - he's 18th - and that the figures released by the Assembly that show him to be the top spender are "suspicious."
From the CACS press release: "Given everything we know right now, it appears that the Rules Committee under-reported other Assemblymembers’ spending on staff and over-reported Portantino’s spending on staff. If this turns out to be the case, it is a sad day for California. It is a problem if elected officials such as Portantino who seek more transparent and accountable governance are being punished."
In his own press release, Portantino writes that the Stanford researchers "have completely exposed the clumsy attempt to falsely portray me in a bad light and exposed petty politics at its worst. The actions of the Assembly leaders not only undermine the public’s trust, they raise serious constitutional questions."
He adds: "I am asking the legislature to join me in requesting a complete and thorough audit of the State Assembly’s budget and expenditures."
Sources: CACS press release ( http://goo.gl/hKhWG ), CACS executive summary ( http://goo.gl/hjk1X ), CACS Policymaker Report ( http://goo.gl/G0XR5 )
UPDATE: Commenting on the Portantino affair, the Star-News accuses Assembly Speaker John Perez of "cooking" the Assembly's books and says he should resign. http://goo.gl/W8gh9
- Brad Haugaard
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