A latest election grievance accusing Assemblymember Evan Low of illegally utilizing state marketing campaign funds to purchase adverts to help his congressional run is taking over a brand new twist along with his opponent sending stop and desist letters to TV stations taking part in the adverts.
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 adverts they are saying have been distributed throughout the congressional district — a transfer the group says is unlawful 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. Firms 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 response to 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 adverts: 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 “ads are violating federal campaign contribution and disclosure laws and are fraudulently providing the public with information derived from illegal funders.”
In a press release, Low’s marketing campaign continued to disclaim any wrongdoing.
“Their claims are meritless,” mentioned Lam Nguyen, Low’s deputy marketing campaign supervisor. “Just take it from San Jose firefighters, police officers and teachers — you can’t trust Sam.”
Kaufman references lots of the factors made by Defend the Vote within the FEC grievance, together with Low’s latest filings with the FEC that determine the expenditures as electioneering communications — radio and TV adverts which might be distributed inside 60 days of an election and goal voters within the district. The reviews point out that the adverts are for “constituent communication” inside his present meeting district, however Kaufman and Defend the Vote say the adverts 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 further adverts with state marketing campaign cash after he was alerted of the alleged violation.
“We thus demand that you cease from airing these illegal ads to prevent further violations of federal election and FCC laws from occurring,” Kaufman wrote. “Such contribution and disclosure laws are crucial to conducting fair campaigns. When one candidate decides to blatantly flout these restrictions, they derive an unfair advantage over other candidates who abide by the applicable laws and regulations.”
In a press release, Liccardo marketing campaign spokesperson Gil Rubinstein mentioned that “it’s shocking that Evan Low continues to find new ways to break campaign finance laws.”
“This is not just politics — Low is attacking the foundations of our fair elections,” he mentioned. “We demand that these stations do what is right, follow the law and stop airing the illegal ads.”
It is a creating story. Examine again for updates.
Initially Printed: October 10, 2024 at 4:22 p.m.
