First impression of Janet – Dina – Hoa financial disclosures

Yesterday was the deadline for filing the second round of financial disclosures. The three Vietnamese-Americans running for First District Supervisor, incumbent Janet Nguyen and challengers Dina Nguyen and Hoa Van Tran all filed theirs. You can look them up at the Registrar of Voters web site: Janet, Dina, Hoa.

The bottom line: As of the end of the day on May 17, the cash on hand for each campaign is as follows: Janet $87,657.79; Dina $30,031.88; Hoa $23,416.62.

As you browse through these reports, keep in mind that nobody can contribute more than $1,600.

JANET

Janet’s report shows a contribution by Ruebén Martínez. The Mexican-American barber-author, winner of the MacArthur “genius” grant and whose legendary librería is in financial trouble, still gave Janet $150. Not much, but it means something.

There’s also a $200 contribution by an organization consisting of family members of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty (the long name “Hoi Dong Hoang Toc Nguyen Phuoc Hai Ngoai” on page 19). And there’s a maxed-out $1,600 contribution by a Tuyen Lecong who’s listed as not employed. That may or may not mean something. Some elderly unemployed people still have a lot of money. Nonetheless, it’s interesting.

This report also contains one vestige of the illegal legal-defense fund (read here): There’s $100 that the Janet campaign pays to its lawyer Phil Greer to cover one refund from that fund.

DINA

Dina’s report shows that her fundraising ain’t going so well. After bursting out the gate with a whopping $100,000 (including a $25k loan from herself), Dina’s fundraising sputtered and she collected only $39,049 in the two months covered by the report.

Remember the story here about how some of the money Dina received, she got almost $20,000 of them too early? Well Dina gave back the money and the donors cut a new check. Most of them. Some didn’t. The Ramada Inn (partly owned by Phu Do Nguyen, former treasurer of Hoa Tran’s campaign) originally gave $1,000, and when it got its refund only gave back $600.

The Travelodge in Westminster, whose contribution may have violated part-owner Jeff Truong’s contribution, received its money back. In fact, Jeff Truong’s contribution was early too, and when he was refunded $1,600, paid back only $1,500.

One gave more: Ha Mach, former mayoral candidate for Westminster (whom some people blame for messing up Andy Quach’s chances), originally gave $200, was refunded that, and gave back $300.

And look: No direct monetary contribution from Assemblyman Van Thai Tran. Or Tri Ta the Westminster City Councilman.

HOA

Big-time problems, though, show up in Hoa’s report. A lot of expenses are still unreported. There’s no accounting for the food laid out every evening in Hoa’s campaign office, for example. There’s also a $13k loan from the campaign to itself, which doesn’t make any sense.

Page 26 has a mysterious $6,000 payment, marked “SAL” for “campaign workers’ salaries” — made to The Union Press, which also receives another $10k for campaign literature and mailings (which makes more sense).

Here’s someting that for sure requires a refund: As Chris Prevatt pointed out in TheLiberalOC.com here, the Vietnamese DirecTV station VHN contributed $1,000 cash, and another $1,600 in-kind. The total violates legal limit.

VHN is a major supporter of Hoa. Its CEO Bruce Tran co-hosted Hoa’s main fundraiser among Vietnamese. VHN also supports Dina Nguyen, giving her $500.

Also supporting both Hoa and Dina is Emerald Bay Restaurant, partly owned and wholly managed by the brother of Lan Quoc Nguyen, the Trannie red baiter and member of the Garden Grove School Board: $500 to Dina, $300 to Hoa.