Jaworski fined $3,000 for campaign finance reports

GALVESTON — Mayor Joe Jaworski will pay a $3,000 fine for violating the state’s campaign finance laws after a Montgomery County watchdog group filed ethics complaints against him for campaign reports filed during his 2008 race for the District 11 state Senate seat.

Jaworski’s fine is the largest so far assessed against the more than 10 candidates from Galveston and League City who drew complaints from the watchdog group for campaign finance violations.

Jaworski told The Daily News about the fine.

The Texas Ethics Commission fined Jaworski for mistakes on eight campaign finance reports. According to the commission, Jaworski incorrectly reported his total political contributions, did not properly disclose the purposes of campaign expenditures, failed to properly disclose the vendor of some political expenditures, failed to include the Federal Election Commission identification number for two out-of-state political committees and failed to provide job titles and the full name of the employers of eight political donors.

Jaworski said the problems were “embarrassing” clerical errors and said he should have been more specific in cases, including describing payments to American Express Merchant Services for fees associated with online donations as an “online contribution service fee” instead of simply describing it as a “fee” on the reports. Jaworski corrected all the problems on his reports before the ethics commission fined him, the commission stated.

The ethics commission cleared him of more serious allegations. The commission found no evidence that he converted contributions for personal use. The commission found insufficient evidence that he accepted contributions from two corporations and a labor union, according to the ethics commission’s order issued May 20.

A loose-knit organization of Montgomery County residents in spring 2009 filed complaints against four League City council members, Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, four Galveston City Council members and two candidates who ran unsuccessful campaigns for Galveston City Council seats.

The Texas Ethics Commission can issue fines of no more than $5,000 or triple the amount of money at issue under the violation, whichever is more.

Although the commission spells out reporting requirements, violations are common.