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From: Fikes, Cathy
To: [email protected]
Subject: FW: Agenda Item May 6, 2025
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 9:35:14 AM
Attachments: Screen Shot 2025-04-28 at 5.00.53 PM.png
From:
Richard McNeil <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, May 1, 2025 7:25 AM
To: Burns, Pat <[email protected]>
Cc: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF) <[email protected]> Subject: Agenda Item May 6, 2025
Dear Mr. Burns,
I'm writing in regard to proposed filing of complaints with FCCP and IRS over suspected campaign finance violations. It's just my opinion, but this reeks of desperation and another in a series of escalating attacks against a cherished HB institution.
In the interest of transparency can you comment on Ed Laird/HB People's Action Committee PAC? Specifically, while I'm not a campaign finance expert, it seems odd that PAC is showing no contributions in the last six months, but they are funding no on A/B material. In similar fashion to the complaint
being made against FOTL, money has
flowed back and forth between Chad's PAC, HBPAC, and multiple, if not all sitting council members.
Mr. Twining and Mr. Kennedy are seen in recent video working directly with HBPAC crew prepping signs in one of
the PAC's offices. Mr. Williams and Mrs. Van Der Mark will be hosting an event
in that same office on May
14. Maybe that is commonplace, but
continued statements that these PACS are run by private individuals with no ties to city rings hollow.
Thanks for your time.
Respectfully,
Richard McNeil
5/6/2025
29 (25-363)
From: Hieu Pham
To: [email protected]
Cc: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); Burns, Pat; McKeon, Casey; Kennedy, Don; Van Der Mark, Gracey; Twining, Butch; Williams, Chad; Gruel, Andrew
Subject: OPPOSE Agenda Item 25-363 (May 6, 2025 City Council Meeting Agenda) Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025 4:22:08 PM
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Dear Mayor Burns, Mayor Pro Tem McKeon, and Members of the City Council:
I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed agenda item directing the City to use taxpayers dollars and limited City resources to file complaints against the Friends of the Huntington Beach Public Library.
This request appears to be a politically motivated effort to discredit a respected nonprofit organization with a decades-long record of service to our community. The Friends have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of volunteer hours that benefit residents of all ages.
Suggesting they are operating improperly—based solely on donations related to a ballot measure—is misleading, legally questionable, and deeply concerning.
As the IRS and FPPC both make clear, 501(c)(3) nonprofits are allowed to engage in limited ballot measure advocacy, as long as it is properly reported. The memo behind this agenda item fails to present any clear evidence of wrongdoing. Instead, it relies on innuendo and legal half-truths to cast doubt on an organization that is simply exercising its rights under the law. What’s more troubling is that the elected officials pushing this investigation have direct financial and leadership roles in the campaign opposing Measures A & B. This conflict of interest undermines the legitimacy of their accusations and raises serious questions about whether City resources are being used for political retaliation.
I urge the full City Council to reject this agenda item. Our local government should be focused on serving the public—not using taxpayer dollars to pursue baseless investigations against community groups that happen to disagree with those in power.
Respectfully,
Hieu Pham
[email protected]