Sonora, CA — While not alluding to any specific circumstances, Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke says her office is not taking any action in response to recent complaints made related to local campaign materials.
She says her office began receiving complaints about political campaign items on April 20.
It wasn’t indicated if the two situations are related, but a little over a week later, on April 28, Tuolumne County Sheriff David Vasquez made a public statement clarifying that he is not endorsing candidates ahead of the June Primary election, as reported here, after his image appeared on some campaign candidate materials.
The DA’s Office noted in a media release, “Pursuant to California Government Code section 8314, violations related to the use of public resources for personal or campaign activity are penalized through civil action brought by the Attorney General or any district attorney, while other violations of the Election and Government Code related to campaign materials are punishable as misdemeanors.”
In explaining her office’s review process, DA Jenecke added, “Upon receipt and review of the complaints, we examined the campaign materials at issue and whether they remained posted in their original form. We researched the relevant statutes and case law. Additionally, we consulted with other California District Attorney’s offices, and reviewed legal treatises related to public integrity and election law in California. Based on this full review, we concluded that there is no further action for us to take based on the state of the facts and the law.”
Jenecke encouraged all candidates to follow the law related to political campaign materials.
