Since 2020, Connecticut billionaire Reverge Anselmo has given over a million dollars to support far-right political causes in Shasta County. Anselmo once owned a winery east of Redding and left after getting into a legal fight with county officials.
Since a state law took effect two years ago, he’s been limited in how much he can donate to political candidates. The limit for 2023 to 2024 is $5,500. That’s how much any individual, business or political action committee, or PAC, can donate to a city or county candidate in every election.
But, according to an ongoing study from progressive advocacy group California Common Cause, the state’s new campaign finance limits haven’t had much of an effect on local elections.
“This idea that it's going to push money, it's going to create more independent expenditures in races now because they have contribution limits, we're just not finding that,” said Sean McMorris, transparency, ethics and accountability program manager for California Common Cause.
He said the issue lies in the maximum limit for campaign donations, which he said is higher than spending tends to be in local city and county elections.
McMorris said the worry has been that these campaign finance limits would push more money into PACs that work independently of politicians.
These findings are part of the study California Common Cause is finishing about the effects of the new state law, AB 571. McMorris expects the results to come out early next year.
While the law limited direct donations to local candidates, in Shasta County it hasn’t stopped Anselmo from donating to independent political fundraising groups.
“Under current Supreme Court rulings you can’t really limit what they spend or where they get their money from,” said McMorris, speaking about why PACs have so much power in elections.
This election cycle, Anselmo has given over $250,000 to one Shasta County PAC called the Water Users Committee. That group has donated money to a far-right candidate running for the local board of supervisors, Win Carpenter. The group has also distributed fliers in opposition to a recall against current Supervisor Kevin Crye, according to the Redding Record Searchlight.
Lyndia Kent manages the finances of several of these fundraising committees in Shasta County. Kent is a far-right political activist who, along with her husband Mark Kent, run the Shasta General Purpose Committee, which bankrolled the successful recall of moderate County Supervisor Leonard Moty in February, 2022.
According to McMorris, campaign committees aren’t supposed to coordinate with independent fundraising groups, such as the Shasta General Purpose Committee or the Water Users Committee.
But, according to the latest campaign finance filings, Kent is also listed as the treasurer for the main fundraising committees for County Supervisors Patrick Jones and Chris Kelstrom.
And she’s the treasurer for the Shasta General Purpose Committee, as well as a committee formed to oppose the recall of Supervisor Kevin Crye.
She was originally listed as the treasurer for the Water Users Committee, but now the treasurer for that committee is listed as her husband, Mark, as of the latest quarterly report.
Lyndia Kent did not respond to requests for comment.
According to campaign finance laws in California, there are no restrictions on who can be a treasurer for a political fundraising committee, but they must be familiar with campaign finance laws and understand the responsibilities of the position. The treasurer is responsible for maintaining campaign finance records and preparing campaign finance statements.
It’s theoretically possible that Kent could run these campaign finances without communicating with the candidates, Sean McMorris said.
“Regardless of whether it's legal or not, the perception is not good.”
