Although the story below says that the FPPC “dismissed” my complaint, that is not the action they took. What the FPPC wrote, without any explanation, is that they, “will not pursue an enforcement action,” but they offered me an opportunity to appeal, which I have done. And the FPPC notified me that the appeal “has been received and is being processed.” The Grandview Independent link is https://www.grandviewindependent.com/fppc-dismisses-second-complaint-against-richmond-councilmember-doria-robinson-2/, which also includes a link to the Request for Reconsideration.

Getting the FPPC to do their job is not easy, particularly when the subject of the complaint is protected by a bevy of officials ranging from the city attorney to the attorney general.

There is corruption at both City Hall and Urban Tilth that, as in Oakland, will eventually come to light. There remain multiple complaints under investigation and legal actions involving Doria Robinson and Najari Smith. Smith is still being investigated by both the FPPC and the Secretary of State, and both Robinson and Smith are named in a wrongful eviction lawsuit (See Lawsuit: Rich City Rides, Doria Robinson ‘coerced’ tenant to leave uninhabitable building,  August 27, 2024, and Wrongful eviction suit against Richmond councilwoman adds to Rich City Rides dispute, August 28, 2024.

Soren Hemmila
Jan 24, 2025 — 3 min read

Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson marches in the Latin American Independence Day Parade on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Photos/ Soren Hemmila

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by former Richmond Mayor Tom Butt against City Councilmember Doria Robinson, alleging violations related to her involvement with the Transformative Climate Communities grant.

The FPPC determined there was insufficient evidence to support Butt’s claims that Robinson failed to comply with advice provided by the commission in Advice Letter A-24-033. The decision follows a review of a 53-page complaint submitted by Butt in August 2024.

In a statement, Robinson expressed frustration with the repeated accusations, which she described as baseless. “Clearly, I have continued to follow the direction given to me by FPPC, and I am not in violation of the law,” she said, emphasizing that the $30 million TCC grant was secured before her tenure on the council.

“Last year, former Mayor Tom Butt filed a second complaint against me with the FPPC after they found the first complaint to be unfounded,” Robinson said. “Today they find AGAIN that there is no evidence to support his assertion that I have violated the advice received by the FPPC regarding the Transformative Climate Communities TCC grant.”

Robinson reaffirmed her commitment to Richmond, saying, “As I’ve always said, I will do all I can to follow all legal advice and stay squarely within the boundaries of the law. And just like my work on the team who successfully negotiated the half-billion-dollar settlement with Chevron, I will continue to be a champion for Richmond, bringing in the much-needed resources to improve our city and focusing on moving forward long-awaited projects like Mira Flores, Nystrom Village, and the MLK Center that were virtually forgotten for the past 10 years.”

The FPPC’s letter to Butt by Enforcement Division Chief James M. Lindsay, reiterated that the evidence presented did not warrant enforcement action.

“After review of the complaint and evidence provided, the Enforcement Division will not pursue an enforcement action in this matter, as there was insufficient evidence provided to show Doria Robinson failed to comply with FPPC Advice Letter A-24-033,” Lindsay said.

Butt, however, remains undeterred and filed a Request for Reconsideration Complaint to FPPC on Thursday, January 23. “The corruption at Richmond City Hall is as bad as Oakland, and the truth will eventually come out,” he said.

Butt stated in the request the FPPC should reevaluate its initial response to his complaint, claiming that the June 6, 2024, advice letter was flawed. He argued the opinion was based on incomplete and critical facts.