Commerce Based BIZ FED Once Again Influencing Cerritos’ Election Spending Thousands; Did BIZ FED Illegally Coordinate With Candidate?

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By Brian Hews

Once again a business organization that has no ties to the city of Cerritos has injected itself into a local election supporting two candidates with direct mailed campaign flyers and using over $10,000 in funds from its political action committee.

It is unknown if all members of Biz Fed approve of such expenditures.

And the organization could land itself in legal hot water as it appears that they coordinated with candidate Bruce Barrows on certain information in the mailers.

Coordination between a political action committee and a candidate is a violation of Fair Political Practices Commission laws, and carries heavy penalties and fines.

The Commerce based Biz Fed, and their political action committee, touts itself as an organization that helps “advance business interests in LA County.”

Yet the organization endorsed Bruce Barrows and Chong Vo, both of whom have no business experience.

SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE SOURCE: Part of the mailer that hit Cerritos homes today from Biz Fed’s political action committee, Barrows is shown with his grandkids. HMG-CN blurred their faces, in the mailer that Biz Fed sent out, their faces were not blurred.

As one observer noted, “the two have never signed the front of a check; Barrows has had one job in his life, and not very long, and Vo is a cop, they don’t know what it is to be a business owner, why is this organization endorsing and spending a ton of money on them?”

Biz Fed endorsed the two over Grace Hu and Frank Yokoyama, both of whom have business experience, with Yokoyama once owning his own business, while Hu is a very successful and wealthy business women.

Biz Fed, who’s CEO can be seen on their website posing with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, is a Republican leaning organization, so Yokoyama’s spurn comes as no surprise.

NEO-CONSERVATIVE LEANING: Biz Fed CEO with Paul Ryan.

Biz Fed’s rejection of Hu raised eyebrows in certain circles as she is a Republican and business oriented

The mailer hit Cerritos homes today and contained patently false information, once again throwing into question the motives of Biz Fed.

In a statement underneath a picture of Barrows with his wife and grandkids, Biz Fed stated, “Bruce is a proven leader, he will ensure a balanced budget…”

As was revealed by HMG-CN last week, while Barrows was a City Councilman and Mayor of Cerritos between 2009 and 2015, the expenses of the City exceeded its revenues by $47 million, averaging $6 million in losses per year.

Yet Biz Fed stated Barrows would, “ensure a balanced budget.”

FALSE STATEMENT: The Biz Fed flyer stated “he will ensure a balanced budget.” While Barrows was a City Councilman and Mayor of Cerritos between 2009 and 2015, the expenses of the City exceeded its revenues by $47 million, averaging $6 million in losses per year. 

Vo was a commissioner on the Cerritos Planning Commission and approved many of the projects that caused the deficit spending during Barrows tenure.

Illegal Coordination?

The timing of the mailer is also suspect as it was delivered to Cerritos homes today, and is the second mailer by Biz Fed in the last four weeks.

The FPPC dictates that candidates cannot coordinate in any way with a political action committee such as Biz Fed.

But a very personal picture on the mailer shows Barrows posing with his wife and grandkids strongly indicating that Biz Fed coordinated with Barrows, which is an FPPC violation.

WHERE DID BIZ FED GET THIS PICTURE: A picture of Barrows with his wife and grandkids.

The special election is tomorrow April 11, with the top four candidates, Barrows, Hu, Yokoyama, and Vo locked in a tight race.

Emails into Barrows went unreturned as of the time of publication.

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