Conservative committee fined

Butte County Awareness and Accountability, a conservative-backed political action committee that was active from 2014-16, and its treasurer/principal officer Thomas Kozik were fined $7,500 by the Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this month.

Charges included failing to file five semi-annual and two pre-election campaign statements, as well as failing to timely file four 24-hour reports with the city of Chico. (While the PAC did file paperwork with Butte County, it was incomplete.)

For the latter, the committee did not report $14,378 it spent sending “hit piece” mailers opposing liberal Chico City Council candidates, the FPPC case says, including former Mayor Scott Gruendl in 2014 (pictured, who lost), and Ann Schwab and Randall Stone in 2016 (who both won).

The FPPC case states that the violations appear to be the result of “inexperience or negligence.”