Phoenix councilmember Carlos Garcia likely violated campaign finance laws - Axios PhoenixLog InLog InAxios Phoenix is an Axios company.

Phoenix councilmember Carlos Garcia likely violated campaign finance laws

Phoenix council member Carlos Garcia. Photo: Courtesy of city of Phoenix Phoenix councilmember Carlos Garcia likely violated state campaign finance laws by accepting $27,955 in donations from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union.An investigation by the Gilbert town clerk also found that he submitted one of his finance reports more than two months late. Why it matters: State law prohibits candidates from accepting donations from labor unions. Catch up quick: Garcia is running for a second term in District 8, which includes much of south Phoenix. What happened: A Phoenix resident filed a complaint against Garcia with the Phoenix city clerk in July alleging he'd violated campaign finance law.Phoenix asked Gilbert to investigate to avoid a conflict of interest. What they found: Garcia's acceptance of the UFCW contributions do appear to have violated the law, according to the investigation. Labor unions can donate to candidates through Political Action Committees, and UFCW has done so in the past. The UFCW PAC would also have to report those contributions — it did not— which led the investigator to believe Garcia's donations were from the labor union itself and illegal.Yes, but: Even if the donations had been made through the PAC, they exceeded the amount a PAC can donate in a single election cycle. Zoom in: The investigation confirmed that Garcia did not submit his campaign finance report until June 27, 73 days after the April 15 deadline. Phoenix has already notified Garcia's campaign of the late filing and he's paid the $1,600 fee, according to the investigation. What's next: Gilbert sent the investigation report to the Phoenix city attorney on Thursday. The city has not yet announced any additional disciplinary action. Of note: Garcia and UFCW did not immediately respond to our requests for comment. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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