Keuroghelian said he mailed the required forms to the California Secretary of State, but representatives for the office said Thursday that he had not taken steps to register his campaign committee, let alone report his finances.
Asked about his reports, Keuroghelian gave copies to the News-Press accounting for $11,126 in expenses between Feb. 28 and March 27, ahead of the special primary election April 13.
“We’ll mail them again if that is the problem,” Keuroghelian said.
With the forms not reported to the state, Keuroghelian could face a fine of up to $5,000 per violation of the Political Reform Act, according to the state Fair Political Practices Commission.
Campaign disclosures are important because they help to clarify what candidates are doing with voter contributions, Smith said.
Keuroghelian, who has campaigned at least twice weekly on Armenian cable television networks, recently began a fundraising effort, although he previously said he would not pursue campaign contributions to support his efforts. During the same time period, Keuroghelian reported raising $9,049.
His 30-minute appearances could have cost up to $250 per segment, said Edward Aalaydjian, owner of AMGA, an Armenian TV network on which Keuroghelian is slated to appear next week.
Keuroghelian said the appearances, for which he still owes $5,000, make up the majority of his spending.
Keuroghelian’s only non-television expense was a $1,317-payment for lawn signs, he said.
He said he would pay for his outstanding expenses “as soon as I get contributions.”
FOR THE RECORD: This version corrects an earlier version that missidentified Stern as Bob Smith.
