Staff: Neal Bucknell, Senior Commission Counsel and George Aradi, Special Investigator. Palmer and the PAC are represented by Amber Maltbie of Nossaman LLP. Ogulnick and the LLC respondents are represented by Gary Winuk of Kaufman Legal Group. Ryan Ogulnick is an Orange County developer and part-owner of the LLC respondents, which are both development companies. Beverly Grossman Palmer is a campaign attorney and partner with the law firm of Strumwasser & Woocher, LLP. Palmer served as the PAC’s treasurer. In this matter, at the request/direction of Ogulnick, the LLC respondents made three contributions to the PAC (totaling $320,000) in the name of another company—in violation of Government Code Section 84301 (3 counts). Also, Ogulnick, the LLC respondents, and the PAC caused misleading and inaccurate reporting on a 24-Hour Report regarding the true sources of contributions to the PAC (totaling $170,000), in violation of Government Code Section 84203 (1 count). With respect to a semi-annual statement that was filed for the period ending December 31, 2018, Ogulnick, Palmer, the PAC, and both LLC respondents failed to comply with various campaign reporting requirements, in violation of Government Code Sections 84211, subdivisions (f), (k); and 84303 (1 count). Palmer and the PAC failed to file required 24-Hour Reports with respect to the PAC’s advertisements—in violation of Government Code Section 84204 (3 counts). Additionally, Ogulnick, the PAC, and the LLC respondents provided misleading and inaccurate top contributor disclosures for PAC advertisements (during the last week leading up to the election), in violation of Government Code Sections 84503, 84504.1 and 84504.3 (1 count). Total Proposed Penalty $87,000.
As a resident of the neighborhood where Ryan Ogulnick was attempting to buy the city council’s vote to approve his development project, Ryan should be forced to pay the maximum penalty allowed. His illegal actions caused the neighborhood undue waste of time and money to opposed the development, when all along he had some the city council members allready in his pocket. His development was approved, and it wasn’t until the neighborhood filed a referrendum that the development was finally denied.