On an anonymous tip alleging that she received gifts from friend and San Francisco interior designer Ken Fulk in violation of the law, a state ethics agency says it may investigate California Attorney General and senatorial hopeful Kamala Harris. CBS SF explains that California law prohibits elected officials from receiving gifts whose total vale exceeds $460 in a calendar year. The value of the gifts from Fulk isn't known, and the designer hasn't responded with a comment writes the LA Times. Could this be the beginning of an ethics violation investigation, some are wondering?
On October 13, the Fair Political Practices Commission sent a letter to Harris informing her that they are "considering initiating an investigation concerning your receipt of furnishings, accessories and services from Ken Fulk, Inc., over the gift limit.”
However, the tip and its kind are "routine" according to a Commission spokesperson, who also wouldn't, sadly, reveal what the gifts in question were.
“Ken Fulk is a personal friend of the AG’s," Stephen Kaufman, who is representing Harris in the matter, told the Times. "[We’re] confident that this will be resolved quickly and easily.”
According to state records, Fulk has in the past contributed $5,000 to Harris’ campaigns for attorney general. The two were seen together as recently as August, when they celebrated Fulk's Pottery Barn collection at the Battery, according to a photo from the Chronicle. Stuff in that line isn't cheap!
