Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : CITIES : Contributions in Irvine Election to Be Investigated
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The Irvine Co. announced last week that it has asked the Orange County district attorney’s office to investigate possible laundering of political contributions to two unsuccessful pro-growth candidates in Irvine’s June election.
Thomas H. Nielsen, vice chairman of the Irvine Co., said in a press release that the company had received information “that one or more Irvine Co. consultants may have submitted invoices for services rendered which may, in fact, have been for reimbursement of political contributions in the recent Irvine city election campaign.”
Nielsen said the company will conduct an audit to determine if it had reimbursed consultants and subcontractors for campaign donations they had given.
The district attorney’s office confirmed that the investigation involved at least $560 in contributions from a subcontractor who may have been reimbursed through the Irvine Co. or one of its subsidiaries.
Neither the district attorney’s office nor Irvine Co. spokesmen would identify the candidates who received the funds or the subcontractor involved in the alleged reimbursement. But sources said the money went to City Council candidates Hal Maloney and Tom Jones, who both lost.
Jones told The Times he knew nothing about it. Maloney’s response was: “Oh, my goodness. It never ends, does it?” referring to the controversies that arose during the election.
Nielsen said that if any violations did occur, it was without the company’s knowledge.
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