Coffey complaints dismissed; Traini fined $11,537

The fine against Traini was reduced from what the commission said was a potential $46,000, in part because of what the commission's order said were "medical disabilities" that affected his ability to comply with the reporting requirements.

Traini paid the fine at the end of last month.

The accusations against Coffey had to do with his collecting campaign donations for Traini and another candidate, Sherry Jackson, before either listed him as a deputy campaign treasurer. State law says candidates have to designate people who help them raise campaign money as treasurers or deputy treasurers.

Coffey told the APOC he asked both candidates to list him as a deputy treasurer before he began raising money for them, and that he believed they had done so.

The public offices commission, in an order Dec. 4, said state law didn't require Coffey to make sure Traini and Jackson had listed him as a campaign treasurer in their state filings.

Jackson was earlier fined $1,810 for accepting money from Coffey and former Assemblyman Dan Sullivan before listing them as deputy treasurers.

The APOC staff recommendation in the Traini complaint said additional campaign violations were discovered during its investigation, including accepting a contribution above the $500 limit, improperly using leftover campaign money to buy a computer and filing some campaign reports late.

Attempts to contact Traini and Coffey Tuesday were unsuccessful.

In the report, the APOC's staff says Traini argued that no money was raised for him before he filed paperwork listing his deputy treasurers. However, his campaign bank records indicated otherwise, the staff's report says.

He was also ordered to return $1,600 in improper contributions.

The commission concluded that Traini was out of compliance with state reporting requirements for 923 days between March 2006 and September 2008. Based on a possible fine of $50 for each day, the maximum penalty would have been $46,150. The commission reduced that amount to $11,537.

The APOC's investigation began after a conversation between Coffey and Assemblyman Bill Starr about fundraising for the candidates was accidentally captured and recorded on former Assemblyman Allan Tesche's telephone recorder.

Contact Don Hunter at dhunter@adn.com or 257-4349.