Pechanga and Chukchansi, Civil Rights Violating Tribes Raise Money

Two large gaming tribes (well, financially large, they are much smaller since eliminating 25% and 50% of their tribes) will throw their weight around in California politics. Remember how Pechanga tried to keep Californians from voting?

An independent-expenditure group backed by California Native American tribes filed a letter with the Federal Election Commission this week announcing its intent to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money supporting candidates in California congressional races.

The group, known as Californians for Fiscally Responsible Leadership, was apparently the first committee in the country to announce its intent to take advantage of FEC rulings last week that effectively lifted fundraising restrictions on soft-money political committees that declare themselves independent from candidates or political parties, if only ostensibly.

The committee has reported raising a little more than $50,000 since early June – about $25,000 each from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and Chukchansi Development Authority, both of which represent prominent California-gambling interests.

California Watch has the full story