Ken Stone
08/09/22
(Times of San Diego) – Republican Brian Maryott, again challenging Rep. Mike Levin in the 49th Congressional District, is the target of a complaint to the Federal Election Commission over alleged use of Venmo payments to hide campaign spending. End Citizens United says that between January and November 2021, public Venmo records suggest Maryott and his campaign committee — with him as treasurer — made payments via that mobile app to campaign staffers. But his federal disclosures “do not appear to reflect any of these transactions as in-kind contributions from Maryott to his campaign,” says the 36-page complaint filed last week. Tiffany Muller, president of the watchdog group made up of “veteran Democratic operatives,” told Times of San Diego that Maryott “either thinks he’s above the law or he was hoping he wouldn’t get caught.” Asked for comment, Muller added in a statement: “Federal law regarding disclosure of campaign expenditures is abundantly clear. Maryott knows he’s supposed to disclose any campaign-related expenses, but he thought he could skirt the law by making under-the-table payments through Venmo.” She and her group say the FEC should immediately investigate the former San Juan Capistrano mayor’s campaign “and hold him accountable for trying to break the law.” The ECU complaint calls on the FEC to impose the maximum fine permitted by law — potentially tens of thousands of dollars. “Unfortunately,” said ECU spokesman Bawadden Sayed, “the FEC is mired in gridlock and dysfunction so we don’t know exactly when they will act on the matter.” Besides Maryott’s alleged payments via Venmo, the ECU complaint says that between January and November 2020, “individuals employed by or performing work for [Maryott’s campaign] also made payments through Venmo to each other for what appear to be campaign-related expenses.” End Citizens United is a political action committee working to reverse the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United, which led to unlimited spending for and against specific candidates. The nonprofit group also backs candidates advocating campaign spending reform.