California watchdog issues fines for spending violations

(AP) — A San Francisco Bay Area district attorney and a former Riverside County mayor have each agreed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in fines for violating campaign finance laws that bar officials from using campaign money for personal spending, the state's campaign finance watchdog reported Monday.

Peterson, the county's top law enforcement official, was accused of misusing $66,000 in campaign funds over a five-year period from 2011 to 2015, spending donors' money on things including restaurant meals, clothing and hotel rooms and transferring campaign money to his personal bank account, according to the FPPC.

Mann, the former mayor of the Riverside County city of Menifee, was accused of making 147 withdrawals totaling nearly $45,000 from his campaign committee over a five-year period for expenses including vacations, vehicle repairs and traveling to a family wedding in Malibu, the FPPC reported.