Political panel files court action against Santa Clara County education trustee
Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Anna Song is pictured in this file photo.

The Fair Political Practices Commission is taking longtime education trustee Anna Song to court.

Just one day before the general election, the state’s political watchdog announced it filed a complaint with the Santa Clara County Superior Court against Song and her campaign for failing to file required campaign finance statements for her Santa Clara County Board of Education re-election campaign.

According to the FPPC, Song and her election committee, Friends of Anna Song for County Board of Education 2020, have not filed any of the required campaign statements and reports required under the Political Reform Act.

“Song and her election committee have not filed any preelection campaign statements related to the Nov. 3, 2020 election, which has left the public in the dark about Song’s receipts and spending,” the agency said in a news release Nov. 2. “Staff from Santa Clara County and the FPPC have reached out on numerous occasions to gain compliance, but to date, Song and her election committee have not filed these required campaign statements.”

Neither Song nor her campaign responded to requests for comment.

The agency said it is asking the court to order Song and her campaign committee to immediately file all campaign statements.

Failure to do so could result in fines of up to $5,000 per violation against Song and her committee.

The agency added that this is not the first time Song has failed to file campaign finance disclosure reports, a violation of state and county election laws. The longtime education trustee has been in office since 2000.

“In a default action approved on March 21, 2019, the FPPC found that Song and her election committee failed to timely file two semi-annual campaign statements, due in January and July 2017, and imposed an $8,000 penalty against them,” said the FPPC. “Song and her committee did not file these campaign statements until December 2018.”

Song is facing off against newcomer and public school teacher Victoria Chon Nov. 3 for the Area 5 board seat, which represents students in Milpitas, Santa Clara, San Jose, Berryessa and Alviso. She also unsuccessfully ran for state Assembly in March.

In addition to serving five terms as a board trustee, Song has been selected as board president three times, as well as vice president.

Song was the first Korean-American elected in Santa Clara County and is the longest serving female Korean-American elected official in the United States.

Contact Devin Collins at [email protected] or follow @dev_collins2 on Twitter.

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