State Center Community College District trustees next week will consider whether to further investigate allegations of misconduct against trustee Eric Payne, who has been fined by the state Fair Political Practice Commission for candidate filing violations and who now is accused of misusing district travel expenses and failing to show...
Campaign Watchdog Hits Payne With $54K in Fines
The state agency in charge of enforcing campaign finance law gave State Center trustee Eric Payne a break on Thursday. Facing 21 counts for various infractions, including failures to file paperwork in a timely manner and improperly spending campaign funds on himself, the Fair Political Practices Commission reduced Payne’s fine...
State Watchdog Drops Hammer on Fresno-Area Politicians
The state agency in charge of campaign finance enforcement has detailed its case to justify $66,000 in fines against community college board trustee Eric Payne. Payne, a two-term trustee of the State Center Community College District, faces 21 counts ranging from failing to report campaign finance paperwork to misusing funds,...
$75,000 Raised for Fresno Vets Memorial at City Hall
One week before Memorial Day, Fresno councilman Garry Bredefeld revealed good news about the memorial project on City Hall grounds. At last week’s city council meeting, Bredefeld announced that $75,000 has been raised for the already-approved memorial. The goal is $120,000. The council approved a slight change in design. Instead...
Payne on Campaign Funds: There’s Nothing I’m Trying to Hide
Eric Payne says he’s working with state campaign finance regulators. The State Center Community College District trustee faces $66,000 in fines on 21 counts, including failing to file required forms to run for office. The Fair Political Practices Commission will hear about the proposed fine at its May 16 meeting...
With $66,000 in Fines Looming, Can Payne Fix Campaign Finance Mess?
A community college trustee has one more chance to settle his problems with the Fair Political Practices Commission. Otherwise, he could face $66,000 in fines. The state agency in charge of campaign finance compliance says Eric Payne, a two-term trustee with the State Center Community College District, violated 21 state laws...
State Center Trustee Payne Faces $66,000 in Election Fines
The state agency in charge of campaign finance is proposing $66,000 in penalties for a Fresno community college trustee, citing numerous infractions over the years. The Fair Political Practices Commission said Payne, a trustee with the State Center Community College District, failed to file numerous reports, misused campaign funds, failed...
Historic Building With 'G' Sign Will Welcome College District Staff
By mid-June, employees with State Center Community College District will begin moving into the historic Guarantee Building in downtown Fresno, district officials say. Interior renovation work is nearing completion on the 12-story structure, which the district purchased for $10.6 million in 2018. Eventually, all of the district's leadership team and their...
State Center Trustees Decline to Investigate Payne, Kahn
Tensions simmered at the State Center trustee meeting Tuesday (Jan. 8), but did not boil over like the last time the group met. The board voted 4-3 against forming a special committee to look into ethical misconduct allegations levied mainly at trustee Eric Payne, and to a lesser extent Bobby...
Lies? Truth? Neither Side Backs Down in Explosive Trustee Debate
An explosive battle between two State Center trustees over one’s nomination as board vice president led to the district engaging in a fact-finding mission. At the Dec. 11 board meeting — the first meeting of the new term — Trustee Bobby Kahn objected to colleague Eric Payne’s nomination as board...