People v. Snyder

Opinion

BROWN, J.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 (the Act; Gov. Code, § 81000 et seq.) 1 prohibits any person from making a campaign contribution in someone else’s name. The question here is whether section 83116.5, by which the Legislature amended the Act in 1984, exempts lobbyists from criminal liability for violation of this prohibition and subjects them solely to administrative sanctions. We find such a restriction would not only conflict with manifest legislative intent but would contravene the Legislature’s statutory and constitutional authority to amend or repeal the Act as an…