Letters to the Editor: Complaint alleging campaign donation violations requires City Council attention too

Re: “Newport resident seeks special counsel to investigate potential campaign finance violations by 2 council members”: After some sanctimonious pontification about election integrity, it looks like the City Council did not need subpoenas to investigate potential violations of our campaign laws — they could have just looked at Councilman Scott Peotter’s campaign reports on the city clerk’s webpage.

Once again, Peotter has accepted possibly excessive contributions from Woody’s Wharf and from Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, according to an Orange County Superior Court complaint filed by a Newport resident.

Amazingly, these are the same two donors who made excessive donations to Peotter in 2014. [Editor’s note: Peotter, who at the time said he disagreed with the city clerk’s reading of campaign law, returned $1,100 in excess donations to Woody’s Wharf and $50 to Duffield.] Then, the city attorney and City Council ignored the violation. These are potentially serious offenses, and the penalty in the Municipal Code for both making and receiving an excessive donation is removal from office.

The council is spending taxpayer dollars to pursue subpoenas related to state election laws, where they have no jurisdiction, in an effort to harass their opponents. The council actually is responsible for enforcing the municipal code, and the entire city is watching to see if they will pursue these allegations about Peotter and Duffield with the same vigor. I am not holding my breath.

Gerald A. Giannini

Newport Beach

Koll Center is a reasonable development

I’m writing in response to recent opposition to the Koll Center Residences (“Condo proposal too large for Newport,” April 12). This project is exactly the right size and fully compliant with the city of Newport Beach’s voter-approved 2006 General Plan. Additionally, this project is purposefully designed to meet the context focused vision and specific requirements for this neighborhood laid out by the 2010 Integrated Conceptual Development Plan.

Koll Center Residences is proposed on 10 acres, provides a 1-acre public park and includes 260 new residences located on parking lots between Birch Street and Von Karman Drive, smack in the middle of the John Wayne Airport area.

This is exactly what the General Plan and ICDP direct for new development. And, its height is consistent with allowable height in this area.

I welcome the addition of the Koll Center Residences project because it is exactly what voter-approved planning documents lay out as a guideline and acceptable development in this location.

Ken Dufour

Corona del Mar

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