Calabasas native leads ethics watchdog

Adam Silver, a Calabasas native, is the chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). His interest in public service traces back to elementary and middle school in the area and continued through Calabasas High School, where he played basketball and was captain of the football team in 2004. He earned a history degree from UC Davis and a law degree from Loyola, worked as a prosecutor in San Francisco, provided compliance services in private practice, held two prior roles at the FPPC, and served as ethics counsel to the California State Assembly before becoming commissioner in March 2024.

The FPPC, based in Sacramento, is an independent, nonpartisan agency created by Proposition 9 (the Political Reform Act of 1974) to enforce the state’s political ethics and campaign-finance laws. It is run by five commissioners appointed by statewide officials; Silver is one of two commissioners named by Governor Gavin Newsom and is a registered Democrat. Since he took the chairmanship the agency has been active during high-profile campaigns, including last year’s Proposition 50 redistricting effort and the most recent primary and general elections, and has focused on making information about conflicts and campaign finance more accessible to the public.

Under Silver’s leadership the FPPC has expanded online tools and begun piloting artificial-intelligence applications to help staff with writing, data analysis and graphics, and to support its advice and enforcement work. The agency created a searchable database of officials’ financial disclosures so the public can look for interests tied to decision-making and file complaints. The FPPC plans a specialized AI model trained on its guidance to draft responses for staff review, with multiple layers of human oversight, and is exploring using AI to flag potential conflicts by matching disclosed economic interests to agency agendas. The commission’s work has included major enforcement actions, such as a $1.35 million fine against Los Angeles County in 2020 for using public money to support two ballot measures without properly reporting that advocacy.