A new lawsuit has accused five California Coastal Commissioners, including Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, of violating disclosure laws for ex-parte communications—emails, in-person meetings, phone calls or other written material related to a pending matter. Under state law, commissioners are required to report such interactions in writing within seven days of the communication. The California Attorney General has offered to represent each of the cited commissioners, and Supervisor Kinsey said he was “relieved and grateful” for the office’s involvement. “I have always acted in an ethical and fair manner when considering items before the Commission and will continue doing so until I leave when my term on the Board of Supervisors ends in January,” he said in an email to the Light. He went on, “I consider this lawsuit to be an unfounded attempt by a frustrated coastal activist to embarrass and discredit our Commission following the dismissal of the Executive Director in February.” A small nonprofit organization established for the sole purpose of pursuing the allegations, Spotlight on Coastal Corruption, reviewed all written and oral ex-parte reports made by the commission’s 12 members between January 2015 and August 2016. The suit claims commissioners violated disclosure laws a total of 590 times. “We found out they were doing something wrong, and it happens an awful lot,” said Cory Briggs, the attorney for Spotlight on Coastal Corruption. “We hope to hold the commissioners properly and directly accountable for conducting official business behind closed doors and keeping the public in the dark.” (The commission voted 7-5 to remove Charles Lester, former executive director, earlier this year.) Last May, Mr. Kinsey opted to recuse himself from a vote on a controversial project that would develop 401 acres in Newport Beach following Los Angeles Times reports that he had failed to properly disclose his attendance at two meetings with representatives from the project’s developer. Mr. Briggs said the defendants have yet to respond to the suit, which was served during a commission hearing on Sept. 7; he estimates the trial could begin late next year. If the courts confirm the alleged violations, it could cost the commissioners millions of dollars in civic fines, or $1,050,000 for Supervisor Kinsey.