hodge4oaklandmayor.com

Marcie Hodge

Facing a state investigation for not filing campaign finance reports, failed Oakland mayoral candidate Marcie Hodge finally filed incomplete paperwork detailing her contributors.

Political insiders in Oakland suggested to the East Bay Express that Hodge was a plant by Don Perata to steal votes from Rebecca Kaplan and Jean Quan, the eventual winner.

When Hodge failed to file her campaign finance reports, those suspicions were fueled further. With Hodge for Mayor billboards all over the city, some wondered how the Peralta College trustee, who previously had failed to come close in a City Council seat race in East Oakland, was being funded.

According to the reports, which account for fundraising and spending u[p to Oct. 16 and were filed late, Hodge spent just over $40,000 on her campaign. She lent herself a total of $32,000. She donated another $6,173 to her campaign. And she raised $6,675 from donors – none of whom are particularly tied to Perata. You can read the reports here. 

But her opponents in the race said her campaign appeared to be more expensive.

“I’m not satisfied that we’ve heard the whole story based on her disclosure because it seems like her or someone else spent more than that on her campaign,” said Dan Siegel, an attorney who worked with the Quan campaign. “It just seems from what I saw from her mail and her billboards she spent more than 40,000.”

Hodge was never considered to be a contender. And many scratched their heads at her stilted public speaking and numerous billboards. Before being eliminated in the instant-run off, Hodge accumulated 3,625 votes or 3 percent. (See the results here )

On her campaign finance reports, Hodge lists her profession as a professor at Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit university.

On Nov. 4, the state Fair Political Practices Commission sent Hodge a letter saying that it was investigating allegations that she hadn’t filed required campaign finance disclosures.

Jim Sutton, an expert in election law, said that the FPPC "is going to take this very seriously." He said the FPPC could fine Hodge up to the amount that she didn't report. If Hodge had filed late but before the election, it would have been more excusable, but not after, he said. The entire point of campaign finance disclosures is inform voters about who's financing campaigns.

Hodge did not return phone calls seeking comment, but has previously denied in interviews that she was working with Perata. 

Meanwhile, Quan, who pulled off a nearly improbable upset over Perata, has been getting ready to take over from outgoing Mayor Ron Dellums, who the Chronicle reported today is not leaving early.