Capitol Alert: AM Alert: FPPC takes up Chris Norby's Fullerton motel case

In today's video report, Dan Walters looks at interesting California politicians who aren't named Jerry Brown.

The Fair Political Practices Commission is considering whether to reject part of a decision proposed by an administrative law judge in a case that dates to Assemblyman Chris Norby's days as an Orange County supervisor.

Back in 2007, Norby checked into a Fullerton motel and paid in advance for a week. He claimed he was studying the homeless and motel families, and his campaign committee reimbursed him.

"I was doing a homeless study," the Fullerton Republican told the Los Angeles Times after the FPPC accused him of using $340 in campaign funds to benefit himself. "We have a lot of homeless people in motels. I think I learned a lot from it. I will stand by it."

An administrative hearing found that he checked into the motel "the same day his marriage ended," the FPPC's meeting agenda says.

The proposed decision would exonerate Norby for personal use of campaign funds. FPPC staff members are recommending that the commission reject that proposal "and decide the case on the record," the agenda says. Click here to read the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. The Norby item is No. 12 on the list.

NEW GIG: The California Broadcasters Association's board of directors has a new chairman: John Paley of Lotus Communications. Paley joined Lotus Communications' KWKW (1330 AM) radio station in Los Angeles in 1971 and has held several executive positions in the Los Angeles radio market.

NEW "COMMUTE": The Bee's ever intrepid Torey Van Oot is attending the California National Guard's open house today at Mather Field to showcase its new civil support helicopters. The Guard will be showing off its UH-72 Lakota helicopters at the Army Aviation Support Facility. After the flight line ceremony, she's hoping to snag what the news release calls "a brief orientation flight onboard a Lakota, if weather permits."