[ San Jose | MetroActive Central | Archives ]

15th Congressional District Pallas Coup [March 6, 2000, 4:45pm]    Even though Assemblyman Mike Honda (D-San Jose) is running for Congress, that doesn't mean he's not spending any dough from his Assembly campaign account. In fact, he paid his congressional campaign-fundraiser Pallas Hansen $3,000 from his Assembly account earlier this year. Yet, the latest available federal spending report (available at www.fec.gov) shows that the Honda for Congress campaign hasn't paid Hansen a penny as of Feb. 16. Honda's millionaire opponent , Bill Peacock, thinks this all seems as irregular as a pair of jeans at Marshall's. Campaign-finance laws prohibit a candidate from using money from a state campaign account for a federal race. "If this isn't a deliberate evasion," sniffs Peacock propagandist Sam Ward, "then it's simply terrible management." Jennifer Van der Heide, Honda's campaign manager, pooh-poohs the charge. Van der Heide says that Hansen, who has worked for Honda since the early '90s, has been raising cash for both Honda's Assembly and congressional accounts. But if Honda's running for Congress, why is he still depositing checks into his Assembly account? "Mike remains an Assemblyman for the next ten months," Van der Heide explains, "and he intends to continue to raise state funds in order to help elect Democrats to the state Assembly." The next federal campaign-finance report, Van der Heide promises, will show a $20,000 payment to Hansen from Honda's congressional campaign. [ San Jose | MetroActive Central | Archives ]