Another Former Alhambra Councilman Violates Political Reform Act

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Stephen Sham was recognized as Business Person of the Year at the 9th Annual Congressional Leadership Awards ceremony held by Congresswoman Judy Chu, 2018 (Photo – alhambracitynews.org)

Colorado Boulevard.net has obtained documents showing that Stephen Sham, recently termed-out Alhambra Councilman, violated the Political Reform Act.

By Sean McMorris

The Political Reform Act, often referred to as California’s anti-corruption law, requires that candidates for elected office accurately disclose campaign donor information for contributions totaling more than $100 a year.

The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), the government body tasked with enforcing the Political Reform Act, sent Sham a warning letter in August 2019 informing him of his violations. A warning letter is in lieu of a fine, but is kept on record in case of future violations.

The warning letter from the FPPC’s Enforcement Division stated that Sham violated the provisions of the Political Reform Act as follows:

…the Enforcement Division found that Mr. Sham and the Committee: failed to cumulate two contributions received from GE Property Development, Inc. in connection with the November 2014 Election and disclosed receiving two contributions of $500 each from GE Property Management as one contribution of $1,000 [and] further….found that [they] failed to disclose certain information required for contributions of $100 or more, including street addresses and employer/occupation information.

Former Alhambra Councilman Stephen Sham (Photos – alhambracitynews.org, Frank Qiu).

Developer Money in Question

GE Property Management, Inc. is a real estate development company with multiple large developments in Alhambra. Campaign finance reports show that GE Property Management, Inc. is owned by Stephen/Steven Chan of Monterey Park. Public records show that GE Property Management, Inc. and/or Stephen Chan and/or one of his many entities also have given campaign donations to former Alhambra Councilmembers Gary Yamauchi ($2,250 in 2015; $1,250 in 2008), Steven Placido ($1,500 in 2007), Barbara Messina ($1,250 in 2010; $750 in 2007; $400 in 2006), and current Alhambra Councilman Jeff Maloney ($500 in 2016).

In addition to the G.E. Property Management and G.E. Property Development), Inc. campaign contributions cited in the FPPC warning letter, Councilman Sham also accepted a $2,000 campaign contribution in 2006 from Regent Alhambra Property LLC,  a Stephen Chan LLC; $250 from an associate of G.E. Property Management, Inc. in 2010; $100 from an administrator of G.E. Property Management, Inc. in 2006; $250 from a manager of G.E. Property Management, Inc. in 2006; $1,000 from G.E. Property Management in 2010; and a total of $4,500 in 2014 from G.E. Property Development, Inc., G.E. Property Management, Inc., and GEM102 Investments LLC, another Stephen Chan entity. In total, Councilman Stephen Sham benefitted from $8,100 in campaign contributions from Stephen/Steven Chan and/or his entities and/or employees of those entities.

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List of Alhambra Councilmember Violations Keeps Growing

Other Alhambra City Councilmembers who have been warned or fined for violating the Political Reform Act include the following current and former councilmembers:

1. Jeff Maloney and David Mejia received a warning letter from the FPPC in 2018 for improperly reporting $5,000 each from developer Arman Gabay who was indicted on federal bribery charges in 2018.
2. Former three-term Alhambra Councilman, Luis Ayala, ran out the statute of limitations on an FPPC investigation into him and his campaign regarding the improper filing of over $100,000 in campaign contributions.
3. Former three-term Alhambra Councilman, Gary Yamauchi, was fined $232 by the FPPC in 2017 for not reporting required donor information on $3,200 in donations.
4. Former three-term Alhambra Councilman, Steven Placido, was warned by the FPPC in January 2017 for not reporting all required donor information and fined $950 the same month by the L.A. County Registrar for filing campaign finance reports 95 days late.
5. Former Alhambra Councilman and current San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Board Director, Mark Paulson, was fined $100 by the FPPC in 2019 for not disclosing consulting income on his statements of economic interest (Form 700s).
6. Former 6-term Alhambra Councilwoman, Barbara Messina, was fined $14,000 by the FPPC in 2010 for her connection to the creation and operation of a phony Independent Expenditure Committee that sent out mailers falsely claiming that her political opponent wanted to bring a casino to Alhambra.