Obama Taps CA Election-Money Sleuth For Federal Post

An official who exposed high-profile wealthy donors who wanted to remain anonymous in recent California political campaigns has been tapped by the Obama administration for a seat on the Federal Election Commission. Ann Ravel started her job this week. In California, she is credited with spearheading an investigation that traced the source of money bankrolling non-profits that in turn backed groups opposing Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax plan and supporting a ballot measure to weaken the union’s ability to raise money for politics. Some of the money was traced back to California billionaire Charles R. Schwab and casino owner Sheldon Adelson. A number of groups were hit with fines totaling $16 million as a result of the investigation.