In Los Angeles, a judge ruled that a Southern California tribe is subject to the same state campaign-finance laws that apply to other political contributors, in a case that some see as a test of Indian sovereignty. The lawsuit brought by the state Fair Political Practices Commission against the wealthy and influential Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians alleged that the Agua Caliente band was late in disclosing over $8 million in donations to candidates and causes from 1998 through 2002, and the FPPC is demanding the payment of fines equal to the amount improperly reported. The Agua Caliente argued that they have tribal sovereignty and are not bound by the state’s campaign finance rules. However, Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster ruled that exempting the tribe from the law’s reporting requirements would undermine California’s electoral system. The tribe is planning to appeal the decision, but if the case is upheld on appeal it will increase the power of any individual state to enforce its laws on other sovereign entities.
