A current election grievance accusing Assemblymember Evan Low of illegally utilizing state marketing campaign funds to purchase advertisements to help his congressional run is taking over a brand new twist together with his opponent sending stop and desist letters to TV stations enjoying the advertisements.
Defend the Vote, a pro-democracy and voting rights group, final week filed the Federal Election Fee grievance towards Low — who’s operating for the Congressional District 16 seat towards former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. The group has endorsed Liccardo.
Within the preliminary grievance, Defend the Vote factors towards FEC filings that confirmed Low spending almost $50,000 from his state marketing campaign account, Evan Low for Meeting 2024, on advertisements they are saying had been distributed throughout the congressional district — a transfer the group says is against the law due to differing marketing campaign finance legal guidelines between state and federal races. In California senate and meeting races, people can donate a most of $5,500 to candidates in comparison with the $3,300 contribution most in federal races. Companies and state political motion committees are additionally barred from donating to federal races.
After the grievance was filed, the Low state account made one other advert purchase of $545,000, in accordance with election filings.
Within the wake of the large expenditure, an legal professional for Liccardo on Thursday despatched stop and desist letters to 5 TV stations which might be broadcasting the advertisements: KNTV, KPIX, KRON, KTVU and ABC7. Representatives for the stations couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
Within the letters, Stephen Kaufman, an election legal professional with the Kaufman Authorized Group, mentioned the “advertisements are violating federal marketing campaign contribution and disclosure legal guidelines and are fraudulently offering the general public with info derived from unlawful funders.”
In an announcement, Low’s marketing campaign continued to disclaim any wrongdoing.
“Their are claims meritless,” mentioned Lam Nguyen, Low’s deputy marketing campaign supervisor. “Simply take it from San Jose firefighters, cops and academics — you’ll be able to’t belief Sam.”
Kaufman references most of the factors made by Defend the Vote within the FEC grievance, together with Low’s current filings with the FEC that determine the expenditures as electioneering communications — radio and TV advertisements which might be distributed inside 60 days of an election and goal voters within the district. The studies point out that the advertisements are for “constituent communication” inside his present meeting district, however Kaufman and Defend the Vote say the advertisements are being broadcast past the borders and all through the congressional district.
Within the letters, Kaufman mentioned that Low has determined to “double down,” shopping for extra advertisements with state marketing campaign cash after he was alerted of the alleged violation.
“We thus demand that you just stop from airing these unlawful advertisements to stop additional violations of federal election and FCC legal guidelines from occurring,” Kaufman wrote. “Such contribution and disclosure legal guidelines are essential to conducting truthful campaigns. When one candidate decides to blatantly flout these restrictions, they derive an unfair benefit over different candidates who abide by the relevant legal guidelines and rules.”
In an announcement, Liccardo marketing campaign spokesperson Gil Rubinstein mentioned that “it’s stunning that Evan Low continues to search out new methods to interrupt marketing campaign finance legal guidelines.”
“This isn’t simply politics — Low is attacking the foundations of our truthful elections,” he mentioned. “We demand that these stations do what is correct, comply with the regulation and cease airing the unlawful advertisements.”
It is a growing story. Examine again for updates.
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