Free Republic

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A consumer advocacy group called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fire his chief fund-raiser and campaign consultant Wednesday after learning he helped win a no-bid contract for one of his firms to promote the governor's trip to Japan last year. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said Marty Wilson should be fired for irreconcilable conflicts of interest because companies he represents could benefit from decisions by Schwarzenegger, who also pays him for advice. Documents disclosed to the foundation through a public records request revealed that Wilson helped one of his firms win a $212,000 contract for...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Attorneys representing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some of his closest political allies are putting up an aggressive challenge to stop a consumer group from helping to defend a state limit on campaign contributions. The California Public Interest Research Group, CalPIRG, has filed a request in Sacramento Superior Court to intervene in support of a state rule that limits how much money donors can give to a candidate-controlled committee. With a hearing on the issue set for Friday, attorneys representing the governor and the Citizens to Save California, a political action committee organized by Schwarzenegger supporters, have filed...