Enforcement agents from the California Fair Political Practices Commission are scrutinizing the president of the California Public Utilities Commission over tens of thousands of dollars he raised from labor groups and energy lawyers to pay for a gala dinner honoring his predecessor.
Spokesman Jay Wierenga said “FPPC enforcement is looking into” donations solicited by utilities commission President Michael Picker ahead of the February tribute to former President Michael Peevey.

Picker filed what’s called a behested payment form in February, disclosing that he solicited $55,000 in donations from attendees of the exclusive dinner at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco.

The law requires public officials to disclose donations in excess of $5,000. Picker amended the so-called Form 803 in March to reflect an additional $10,000 in contributions, all of which came from labor unions representing utility workers and an energy law firm.

Hundreds of utility executives, union bosses and current and former public officials attended the $250-per-plate dinner as consumer activists protested outside the historic venue, claiming that the gala manifested just the kinds of cozy relationships that were under criminal investigation.
Picker said he paid his own way and agreed to provide The San Diego Union-Tribune a copy of his canceled check, but he never did so.

Net proceeds from the event were supposed to be donated to the Goldman School of Public Policy at Peevey’s alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley.

UC officials turned down the money in March, after the university was peppered with complaints that it should not accept money in the name of someone under criminal investigation for abusing his public trust. Peevey also resigned from a campus advisory board.

The dinner organizers, former utilities commissioner Susan Kennedy and Bay Area public relations man Don Solem, later said they would find a new charity to accept the proceeds, which amounted to about $30,000.

Last month, Solem told The Union-Tribune that the balance of funds had been donated to other tax-exempt organizations, but he declined to identify the groups. “I see no need to disclose the names of nonprofit and educational-related contributions to the public,” he said.

Under state law, public officials who solicit donations to charitable events must disclose where the proceeds were donated. Picker’s original and amended forms listed UC as the beneficiary of the event.

If the organization for which the donations were solicited does not accept the funds, a new disclosure must be filed saying where the money went, state officials told the Union-Tribune.
Picker and commission spokeswoman Terrie Prosper have not responded to repeated questions about where the proceeds from the behested payments ended up, whether Picker again plans to amend his filings, and how the commission is responding to the FPPC inquiry.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/16/cpuc-fppc-peevey-party-picker/