Free Republic

<p>In January 1999, state Sen. Don Perata's 26-year-old son, Nick, launched a political direct mail firm based at his father's Alameda home.</p> <p>Within months, the son's firm, Exit Strategies, was receiving tens of thousands of dollars in revenue from the father's Senate campaign committee. At the same time, Exit Strategies began paying consulting fees and rent to the senator, state records and interviews show.</p>

SACRAMENTO - A key Senate committee rejected a consumer group's call to investigate Sen. Don Perata and said the East Bay politician's financial dealings are "no cause for discipline." The bipartisan decision, sent in a letter dated Thursday to the group, gave Perata, D-Oakland, the vindication he sought after a newspaper reported he received about $100,000 in consulting fees that raised conflict-of-interest questions. The Senate Rules Committee concluded the matter did not meet 'the threshold" to spur a full inquiry. "A mere allegation that conduct 'looks bad' is not sufficient to trigger an ethics investigation," the committee's letter said. The...

<p>State Sen. Don Perata, who is the subject of a legislative ethics review, received more personal income from a business associate in each of the past two years than he has previously acknowledged, newly filed state documents show.</p> <p>Perata, an Oakland Democrat, recently amended his economic interest forms to show that he was paid more than $100,000 in 2002 by Staples Associates, a consulting firm run by business associate Timothy G. Staples. Previously, Perata reported on state forms receiving between $10,000 and $100,000 from Staples Associates for that year.</p>

<p>Sacramento -- A developer and longtime ally of state Sen. Don Perata opened a political committee last year to raise money for Democrats across the state. The fund quickly collected $135,000 from four corporations -- all of which have donated generously to the Oakland lawmaker as well.</p>

<p>Perata's friend and associate, Timothy G. Staples, has received $313,000 in business from political campaigns initiated or supported by the influential Oakland lawmaker. At the same time, Staples has paid Perata $100,000 in consulting fees that supplement Perata's Senate salary, according to financial records and interviews with the senator.</p>

<p>Sacramento -- A developer and longtime ally of state Sen. Don Perata opened a political committee last year to raise money for Democrats across the state. The fund quickly collected $135,000 from four corporations -- all of which have donated generously to the Oakland lawmaker as well.</p>

Critics: Diaper bill reeks of politics Perata's plan would benefit company that donated to his campaign, taxpayer advocates say By Steve GeissingerSACRAMENTO BUREAU SACRAMENTO -- A coalition of taxpayer groups said Tuesday that an East Bay senator's much-touted diaper-tax bill stinks politically because it would benefit a single disposable diaper recycling firm that has contributed to the lawmaker's campaign coffers. Though Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, is delaying and recasting the measure to shift the proposed tax from consumers to diaper makers, the coalition said it believes buyers would still ultimately pay the cost of creating an unproven recycling program. "This...