"SACRAMENTO — State authorities Thursday imposed $40,000 in fines against Sen.
Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) and two GOP committees after finding that the lawmaker laundered that amount of political money into his brother's 2008 Assembly campaign.
The state Fair Political Practices Commission voted unanimously to uphold an administrative law judge's ruling that
Berryhill committed a "serious and deliberate" violation of California's campaign finance laws.
The commissioners decided in a 20-minute closed session to include in the fines the Stanislaus County and San Joaquin County Republican central committees for their role as conduits in passing $40,000 from Berryhill to his brother's successful campaign.
"This case is about cheating in elections," said Gary Winuk, chief of enforcement for the FPPC. "The Berryhills intentionally violated the public's limits on campaign contributions to gain an unfair electoral advantage. This is one of the most significant cases we have prosecuted."
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