By Robert Haugh

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has proposed fining disgraced former Santa Clara City Councilmember Dominic Caserta a total of $65,000. Wow.

The FPPC is holding Caserta accountable at an August 15 hearing for numerous campaign law violations made during his County Supervisory campaign in 2018.

Caserta ran unsuccessfully for Supervisor in the June 5, 2018 Primary Election. He served as both the candidate and the treasurer for his campaign committee.

Caserta dropped out of the race when he was accused of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment by numerous female high school students and campaign staffers.

Caserta landed on the Creep Sheet that year. The publication is described as “the most complete list of public figures accused of sexual harassment or assault.”

In 2022, Caserta got into more trouble. He was arrested and charged with fraud as he tried to get a $690,000 mortgage. 

According to numerous sources and documents shared with Santa Clara News Online, Caserta has continued to work at Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) where he taught history. Since the 2018 allegations, he has not been allowed to teach in a classroom.

Caserta’s situation has divided Trustees and school district staffers. Some believe he didn’t deserve to receive his full salary and be given a “make work” job. Others were willing to look the other way.

The FPPC found that Caserta and his 2018 committee made several expenditures using campaign funds that lacked any “legislative, governmental, or political purpose.” 

Some of these expenditures provided substantial personal benefits to Caserta himself – a direct violation of Government Code Sections 89510 and 89512 (5 counts).

The investigation uncovered that these expenditures were made with surplus campaign funds. Those funds are required by law to be used for purposes consistent with the original intent of the campaign. This misuse resulted in another five counts of violations under Government Code Section 89519.

A major violation included Caserta’s payment to his spouse, violating Government Code Section 84307.5 (1 count).

Caserta also failed to accurately and timely report financial activities on a semi-annual campaign statement, in breach of Government Code Section 84211 (1 count). He did not maintain detailed campaign records for the required period, violating Government Code Section 84104 (1 count).

This is a developing story as Caserta is still an SCUSD employee and some Trustees will be on the ballot in November.

Editor’s Note: A clarification from the FPPC’s Jay Wierenga:

“A few years ago, the Commission decided to offer those involved in these types of cases sort of a “one last chance” type of thing before the default case actually gets voted on. Thus, the “pre-notice”, a way for the case to be made public one month before the planned vote, so as to give the public notice of the pending proceeding and also to give the respondent another chance to try to resolve the matter before the final vote.

 This is also done to try to bring public attention to someone/some group which is not responding, in order to try to bring the respondent to the table to resolve the matter. So, in this case, it’s a pre-notice. No action will be taken by the Commission (the 5-member Commission) this month. IF no further progress is made, this will come back in September before the Commission for a vote. So at this point, no fine has been issued. It is simply a pre-notice that one WILL be issued (at the recommended amount) IF the matter is not resolved.”