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Calif. Denies Complaint From Carlos Slim's Firm

SACRAMENTO (AP) — A California political watchdog agency said this week that an immigrant rights group didn't violate lobbying laws, contrary to allegations from a company owned by the world's richest man, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

Telephone tycoon Slim's TracFone Wireless Inc., a unit of America Movil, filed a complaint alleging Two Countries, One Voice used phony grass-roots organizations to influence the American government.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission notified the company Wednesday that there's insufficient evidence to support that allegation of a Political Reform Act Violation.

"We will continue to pursue every avenue to make sure the funders of this group are properly identified," TracFone spokesman Jose Fuentes told the Times.

The rights group said Slim has retaliated over their accusations that Slim and his companies use monopolistic business practices.

Juan Jose Gutierrez, a co-founder of Two Countries, One Voice, said told the Times he was pleased that "the FPPC did not allow itself to be used by TracFone and Carlos Slim to do their dirty work."

For the fourth consecutive year, Slim was named the world's richest man by Forbes in March, when his net worth tallied $73 billion.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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