Political Landscape:

“I think that the recall process is being abused and that the recall process should only be available in instances of corruption, malfeasance or some sort of other crimes that require immediate removal,” Adams said. “Otherwise each elected [official] stands before their voters on regular election when voters can decide whether they agree on how that official voted on any particular issue.”

Whitacre countered that recall campaigns are a means of holding lawmakers accountable in the case that they become irresponsible.

“Of course any incumbent would love to be left alone to do whatever they want to do unchecked, but that’s the reason why the recall provision is in the constitution, because they work for us,” he said. “We don’t work for them.”

Whitacre was unsure on a timeline for his campaign’s challenge, but Adams was confident moving forward without lingering concern about a recall following the state’s findings.

Ruling favors contribution limits

A court ruling Tuesday may have put the brakes on some fundraising efforts for former Paramount Pictures executive Chris Essel, who is going head-to-head with Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Los Angeles) in a runoff election for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday against a political action committee that had challenged the Los Angeles Ethics Commission on its limits for campaign contributions.

The committee, called Working Californians, had intended to collect contributions for Essel exceeding the city’s limit of $500 per donor, per calendar year.

It challenged the limit because it argued it restricted the group’s 1st Amendment speech rights, but failed to convince U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson, according to the ruling.

Essel has so far raised a total of $475,150, compared to Krekorian’s $242,298, according to the Ethics Commission’s most recent data.

— Zain Shauk