California FPPC fines San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan $27,500 for late disclosure of $2.3 million in behested donations

The California Fair Political Practices Commission approved a $27,500 fine against San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan at its September 17, 2026 hearing over 38 behested-payment disclosures -- including roughly $1.9 million to his own political advocacy nonprofit, Back to Basics California, and $400,000 to the Cinequest film festival -- that missed the state's 30-day disclosure deadline between 2024 and 2026. Mahan said he self-reported the lapse upon discovering it and has since implemented stronger internal compliance processes; his former chief of staff, Jim Reed, who left in December to run Back to Basics California, said 'it's my fault we didn't disclose the same information to the state.'