By Donna Westfall – Credit to LA Times.com – July 19, 2016 –
California Coastal Commissioner, Martha McClure, facing possible $630,000 fine in transparency violations
Spotlight on Coastal Corruption is a nonprofit organization. Their slogan is “Protecting the Coast Requires Integrity at the California Coastal Commission. (CCC)”
Their existence was a result of corruption at the CCC. Laws put into effect in 1976 mandated protection of the precious California coast and created the California Coastal Commission to oversee its implementation and enforcement. However, a big part of the problem with the CCC is the lack of transparency involved in the Commission’s actions and especially the practice of Commissioners meeting behind closed doors with developers and their highly-paid, well-connected lobbyists.
A lawsuit alleging 590 transparency violations against five Commissioners including Martha McClure was served during their September 7, 2016 board meeting.
By law, Commissions are PROHIBITED from influencing a decision if they knowingly fail to report ex-parte contacts related to the matter.
Each violation of the disclosure requirements carries a maximum fine of $7,500. In addition the lawsuit is seeking an additional fine of $30,000 for each violation due to the state’s Public Resources Code.
The suit alleged that McClure violated reporting requirements 82 times. If the violations are sustained, she faces $630,000 in fines.
I just found out that in a second lawsuit that was filed in February, Del Norte County is being sued with Martha McClure. Like the more recent suit, the suit was filed in San Diego County. Unlike the more recent suit, DNC is being sued along with McClure. The suit was filed in February and apparently has been kept under wraps all this time. Most disturbing to me is that in this February suit, many other coastal commissioners are being sued, BUT DEL NORTE COUNTY IS THE ONLY COUNTY BEING SUED! I don’t know what the suit’s about, but I found this information on the San Diego Superior Court online docket.
Martha McClure is an embarassment to the folks of Del Norte County. Her actions were no innocent mistake, not when they occur 82 times. She needs to save our county from any further bad public relations. She needs to do the right thing and resign now and have Lori Cowan take her seat early.