The state’s political watchdog company has closed the books on a Democrat’s grievance towards Chula Vista mayor candidate John McCann, discovering no wrongdoing.
In a letter Tuesday to Republican McCann and his treasurer, Angela Brereton of the Truthful Political Practices Fee stated: “The Enforcement Division is not going to pursue an enforcement motion on this matter.”
Two weeks in the past, Jose Cerda filed a grievance with the FPPC, alleging McCann accepted “an unlawful and extreme in-kind contribution within the type of deeply discounted private providers” from The Particular Investigations Unit, a personal agency owned by former FBI agent Lawrence Hamilton.
Cerda, a founding father of the Chula Vista Democratic Membership, cited Hamilton’s modest $1,000 cost for shadowing Ammar Campa-Najjar, McCann’s mayoral rival, seeking to show the Democrat didn’t dwell in Chula Vista.
However the FPPC stated McCann’s marketing campaign statements present that his fund-raising committee “permissibly reported an estimated quantity for the accrued expense for SIU.”
McCann’s committee amended the marketing campaign assertion when the bill was acquired, “following FPPC steerage for accrued bills,” the letter stated. That was even earlier than Cerda filed his grievance Oct. 4.
Based on McCann’s submitting, he paid Hamilton’s agency $2,669.50 for “opposition analysis.”
McCann treasurer Invoice Baber, who is also legal professional for “McCann Mayor 2022,” was happy with the Sacramento company’s information.
“We’re completely happy the FPPC rapidly dismissed this bogus grievance,” Baber advised Occasions of San Diego. “We count on the Chula Vista Ethics Fee to do likewise.”
Citing the Chula Vista Municipal Code, Cerda alleged that compelling proof existed that Councilman McCann and his committee violated town’s marketing campaign finance
ordinance through a “prohibited in-kind contribution.”
Cerda didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
However McCann nonetheless faces scrutiny in Chula Vista — at the same time as he leads Campa-Najjar 36% to 31% amongst probably voters in a brand new ballot launched Tuesday.
Metropolis Clerk Kerry Bigelow stated the grievance was made beneath town’s Marketing campaign Contribution Ordinance, which is separate from the grievance made to the FPPC.
“The FPPC’s determination on the grievance it acquired will probably be supplied to town’s assigned Enforcement Authority legal professional,” Bigelow stated through electronic mail. “They are going to determine the extent to which it could be related to the grievance filed with town.”
She stated the legal professional — Roger Geddes — has till Nov. 4 to find out whether or not possible trigger exists beneath metropolis regulation to hunt prosecution.
