It’s Kentucky Derby Time For California Assemblyman Flora

It’s Kentucky Derby time! Grab a Mint Julep, don a wide-brimmed Organza hat trimmed in Peacock feathers, iron your white linen dress or suit and prepare for the 150th Kentucky Derby, Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Oh wait. We are in California, and the California Legislature is in session.

Earlier in April, the Globe reported on Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon), or “Flora the Explorer” as he is known, and his penchant for the ponies – as in Kentucky Derby ponies. Assemblyman Flora started a ballot initiative committee, which appears to raise money for the sole purpose of taking lobbyist friends to the Kentucky Derby – at least the last couple of years of his mandatory reporting indicates this.

Assemblyman Flora’s mandatory FPPC Form 460’s reporting “Recipient Committee Campaign Statement,” shows Flora raising money for a ballot initiative, but spending the funds on trips to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The latest “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee” reports the most recent contributions to his ballot initiative committee, and one big expenditure of $54,592 going to “5/2-5/2024 Fundraiser Lodging and Meals for 8 including candidate.”

$54,592 is an annual salary of many Californians, and many more take home far less.

Four lovely days in Kentucky chasing ponies, dining and enjoying Kentucky Bourbons and campaign contributions?

In the last article we clearly identified the recipients of these expenditures as tickets, restaurants, bars, hotels and to Flora’s campaign consultants and PR consultants. This time it looks more like a shell game with one big $54,592 check to the Golden State Strategy Group – who will in turn purchase the tickets, restaurants, bars, and hotels?

Flora’s Schedule A shows the contributions totaling $50,000, received late in 2023:

$25,000 from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America California Initiative Fund, and $25,000 from California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund (ccpoa Tag Fund).

The grand total for all of 2023 was $120,000 inn contributions received by Flora’s “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee:”

We asked if the “Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee” ever made a legitimate expenditure – other than travel, meals, lodging and events? It appears to be a giant slush fund operating under the guise of “fundraising” for Assemblyman Flora and his lobbyist friends.

We asked the Assemblyman’s office the following questions:

What legislative or political activities is Assemblyman Flora engaging in for the Assemblyman Heath Flora for Safer Communities, a controlled Ballot Measure Committee?

What exactly does this committee do?

What communities are safer because of this committee?

What ballot initiatives has it proposed?

Or is it only used to pay for extravagant trips?

Is the Assemblyman planning on attending the Kentucky Derby next Saturday?

Who else will be attending with him?

We did not hear back, but will update the article when we do.

Lobbyists can’t contribute $50,000 to an Assemblyman’s political campaign, but they can give it to a ballot initiative committee.

As we said in the last article, the “fundraising” trips (for a ballot initiative) to the Kentucky Derby appear rather dubious. It’s insulting and offensive to voters when elected lawmakers take annual travel junkets to foreign lands during spring break. But if a lawmaker is raising funds for a “ballot initiative” that ends up being a travel and entertainment junket, voters must ask why, and for what purpose.

You can link the entire Recipient Committee Campaign Statement report here, or review the document below.