Okay, here’s an example of campaign finance enforcement.

A candidate who is challenging an incumbent member of the Portland, Oregon equivalent of the city council has been fined $77,000 for paying a token $250 a month for 3,000 square feet of downtown office space used for campaign headquarters.

Rene Gonzalez, a lawyer and businessman, accepted the heavily discounted rent for the space, which had a market value of $6,900 per month, according to campaign finance officials. The deal was provided by the building owner, who Oregonlive.com describes as “a real estate mogul and philanthopist.”

City elections officials have ordered Gonzalez pay $33,250 for accepting the discounted office space and another $10,640 for failing to report it, according to the letter. He is also required to reimburse Schnitzer Properties Management the unpaid $33,250.

The total fine of $77,140 is nearly half the $175,000 Gonzalez currently has on hand, according to campaign finance records. The candidate has until Oct. 4 to appeal the decision.

A bit more than a slap on the wrist, it seems.

At the same time, Gonzalez had received $370,000 from the city’s own campaign finance program.

“Under rules updated last December, the city’s public finance program now matches contributions of up to $20 from city residents 9-to-1, with smaller match ratios for larger donations. That effectively turns a $20 individual contribution into $200 of campaign cash,” according to Oregonlive.com.