Sameen Ahmadnia’s campaign has violated both the 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) compliance required for sending text messages and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) rules concerning campaign contributions.
FPPC rules are designed to ensure transparency in campaign financing by requiring timely disclosure of contributions, which allows voters to see who is financially supporting candidates, and who is sending them communications. The 10DLC rules regulate how organizations must manage text message campaigns, ensuring transparency and legal compliance.
Unfortunately, Sameen Ahmadnia’s campaign has failed to adhere to the rules of both the 10DLC compliance and the FPPC. This not only demonstrates a disregard for the law but also misleads voters.
Non-Compliance Details: Text Messaging
The FPPC clearly requires that text messages contain information that identifies who is paying for the communication. Ahmadnia's text message does not identify who paid for it -- her campaign, or another person or entity. Further, the 10DLC system is designed to regulate text message campaigns, ensuring transparency and preventing spam. Violating these rules means that the Sameen Ahmadnia campaign is sending messages without proper registration or disclosure. Further, it appears that many Culver City residents received these text messages close to midnight, which is outside of acceptable hours to be communicating with voters and disrupted their sleep.
Non-Compliance Details: Campaign Contributions
The FPPC requires that any campaign contributions of $1,000 or more be reported within 24 hours within 90 days before the election. A review of Ahmadnia's September 24 campaign finance filings reveal that a contribution of $1100 on August 11, 2024, was never reported. Further contributions on September 1, September 11, and September 14 were purportedly reported on September 17, but inexplicably as contributions from Ahmadnia's campaign to itself, and never properly reported.
The level of transparency required by the FPPC is a critical safeguard in ensuring open and democratic elections. Additionally, these rules help hold candidates accountable for large financial influences. Ahmadnia’s campaign, however, has failed to meet this obligation. The financial records show multiple instances where contributions exceeded this threshold but were not reported within the required timeframe, directly violating FPPC regulations. For each day that these contributions go unreported after the required filing date, fines accrue, adding further legal and financial consequences to these violations.
Why This Matters to Culver City Voters and Our Schools
When a candidate fails to comply with basic communication and disclosure regulations relating to their campaign, it immediately raises serious questions about their ability to handle more complex legal obligations while in office. These violations raise significant concerns about Ahmadnia’s ability to lead effectively and her commitment to transparency in a school board position.
When a candidate cannot even follow established guidelines for campaign communications and financial disclosures, how can we trust them to responsibly oversee the education of our children or manage the budget for our schools? The school board is tasked with critical decisions that impact our students, teachers, and community at large. And in fact, the current CCUSD School Board has repeatedly made decisions against legal requirements that have resulted in repeated fines to the district -- including $1 million for failing to comply with the minimum days of instruction during COVID-19, a $180,000+ penalty for exceeding an average of 24 students in a transitional kindergarten (TK) class and exceeding the 1:12 mandated ratio, and is currently requesting a waiver of a fine assessed for falling under the 55% threshold of spending in the classroom.
Culver City voters deserve candidates and elected officials who operate with integrity and respect for the law, and who will be capable and competent at managing district affairs without incurring needless fines. Ahmadnia’s non-compliance undermines the very foundation of a fair and accountable campaign, and her actions have shown she is not the candidate Culver City can afford. Our city deserves better—leaders who will follow the rules and ensure their campaign is transparent from start to finish.