He also is leading a campaign for a ballot initiative that would establish a state constitutional right to preschool for all 4-year-olds and raise income taxes for wealthier households to fund preschool programs.
Reiner Denies Wrongdoing in Politics
2/24/2006 8:41 PM PT
The commission also earlier paid for a political consultant who now is the campaign manager of Proposition 82, the story noted.
Reiner's commission is funded from tobacco tax proceeds. State law prohibits the use of public funds for campaign activities.
Reiner's attorneys have asserted that the commission ads were legal and proper, and the entertainer-turned-activist on Thursday dismissed the Times story as "the price of being a public figure."
When asked to comment about the money spent on the commission's ads following a speech he gave in San Jose on Proposition 82, Reiner said: "There is absolutely no conflict of interest."
