by Laura Fitzgerald and Max Harrison Caldwell. This audio story was originally aired on CapRadio.

There is a lot of money that flows through the state Capitol to shape the laws and policies that affect Californians. Corporations, trade associations, and other organizations invest in certain state lawmakers for political gain. But that money comes with oversight via California’s ethics board, the Fair Political Practices Commission (or FPPC). State law limits the amount of gifts and campaign contributions an elected official receives. But there is another type of payment that is more obscure. Behested payments are given to an elected official who is soliciting money for another individual or organization. And an investigation found that these come with some gray areas. This reporting was done by Max Harrison-Caldwell and Laura Fitzgerald with UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program.

You can listen to Laura and Max’s full audio story on Operation Gobble and behested payments on CapRadio’s website.