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FPPC Fines Stein, Others $15,000 for Election-Law Violations
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The Fair Political Practices Commission has approved a stipulation under which criminal defense attorney Andrew M. Stein, the 2014 election committee in his ill-fated bid for election to the Los Angeles Superior Court, and his treasurer will pay a $15,000 fine for money-laundering.
However, Angela J. Brereton, the FPPC’s chief of enforcement, told the commissioners at their meeting on Thursday that “there wasn’t an intent to conceal and there wasn’t an intentional violation of the act.” The penalty was based on the maximum fine of $5,000 on each of three counts, with other violations uncovered by the Franchise Tax Board’s Political Reform Audit Program used as factors in aggravation rather than being separately charged.
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ANDREW M. STEIN attorney |
Source of Loan
Stein admitted to causing a third party—Eugene “Chip” Baldoni, a used car dealer in Lakewood—to make $100,000 loan to the committee in Stein’s name, in violation of Government Code §84301, failing to inform the committee as to the true source of the loan, in breach of §84302 of that code. Stein and treasurer Yolanda Miranda agreed that they filed a campaign statement with false information, contrary to §84211.
Although Stein amassed sufficient votes in the June 3, 2014 primary to win a spot on the Nov. 4 general election ballot, he was defeated by then-Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney Tom Griego. The defense lawyer’s chances were diminished by virtue of a ruling on Aug. 27 by then-Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell (now retired) that Stein could not be listed on the ballot as Gang/Homicide Attorney” or anything similar because it implied he was a prosecutor.
Stein was an unsuccessful candidate in the June 7, 2016 primary for a seat on the Orange Superior Court.
He is a partner in the Bellflower firm of Stein & Markus.
State Bar Discipline
The lawyer received a public reproval from the State Bar in 1985. He explained in 2014:
“I was young. I took on a case that I wasn’t really competent to handle.”
He was placed on probation, with no actual suspension, in 1993. The discipline was in connection with his handling of a dissolution of marriage case.
“I shouldn’t have even been doing a divorce,” he said in 2014, because family law is not within his area of expertise.
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